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A 



NATURALIST IN MEXICO 



BEING A VISIT TO 



CUBA, NORTHERN YUCATAN 
AND MEXICO. 



WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 



FRANK COLLINS BAKER, 



SECEETARY AND CURATOE, CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES; 

FELLOAV OF THE ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCES; 

MEMBEE OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CONCHOLOGISTS; OF THE 

CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES; 

ASSOCIATE MEMBEE OF THE AMERICAN OENITHOEOGISTS UNION. 



AUTHOR OF 

A Catalogue of the Echinodermata;" "Catalogue and Synonomy of the 
Muricida;;" "Catalogue of Mexican Mollusks," Etc., Etc. 



CHICAGO: 

DAVID OLIPHANT, PEINTER AND PUBLISHEE. 

1895 



Copyrighted 1895, by F. C. Bakee. 



PREFACE. 



In presenting this little volume to the public, a word or two 
in explanation of the circumstances which gave it birth may not be 
deemed inappropriate. The author had originally intended 
making a little pamphlet covering some of the moi-e interesting 
experiences of the Mexican Expedition. It has been thought, 
however, that the important nature of the expedition and the 
linking together of narrative, science, and history (a combination 
not often attempted by authors) were circumstances sufficient to 
justify its publication in a more pretentious form. 

The tour which forms its subject was underti.ken under the 
auspices of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the 
author acting as Zoologist. The expedition was under the leader- 
ship of Professor Angelo Heilprin, Curator-in-charge of the 
Philadelphia Academy, and its object was to collect data and 
specimens illustrating the fauna, flora, and Geology of Yucatan 
and Southern Mexico, with a consideration of the high mountain 
peaks of the Mexican Plateau. For full accounts concerning the 
scientific portion of the expedition, the reader is respectfully 
referred to the Proceedings of the above Academy from 1890 to 1895. 

The illustrations used are mostly from photographs taken by 
the party, together with sketches made by the author. The 
majority of new species of mollusks discovered by the expedition 
ai-e figured in the following pages. 

As to the literary character of the work, if not so good as might 
be wished, it is yet such as circumstances have permitted. The 
text has been written during the leisure hours of a busy pro- 
fessional life, which fact will explain, if it does not excuse, its 
errors. The author has endeavored to picture the scenes which 
came under his observation, as they appeared to him. 

The author desires to express his gratitude to the friends, 
both in Mexico and the United States, who have in various ways 
assisted him. He trusts that this little sketch of a naturalists 
experiences may awaken a scientific interest in this little under- 
stood country. 

Frank Collins Baker. 

Chicago Academy of Sciences, 
July, 1895. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



Dolphins— Gulf Stream— Havana— Botanical Garden— 
Progreso— Col. Glenn— Hotel Yucateco— Merida— Old Gate- 
Cathedral— Birds— History — Market— Franciscan Convent- 
Arrival at Construction Camp i 

hlHAPTER II. 

First Morning at Camp— Isaac McGinty— Henequen— 
Sitilpech—Cenotes— Native Dance— Mexican Parrot— Leaf- 
cutting Ant— Cacti — Goat-suckers — Preparing Tortillas- 
Large Mound — Izamal ■ 19 

CHAPTER III. 

Apparent Scarcity of Birds— Curious Lizards— Mollusks 
not Plentiful— Santa Cruz— Intense CoM— Large Cave— Ticul 
— Church and Convent 32 

CHAPTER IV. 

Hacienda of Uxmal— House of the Dwarf— Ruined State 
of Buildings— House of the Governor— Elaborate Sculpture — 
House of the Nuns-Sculptui'ed Lynx— Hacienda of Tabi— 
Cave of Loltun— Cave of Bolonchen 39 

CHAPTER V. 

Ruins of Labna— Arched Gateway— Garrapatas— Birds 
Seen — Spanish Conversation — Agriculture in Yucatan- 
American Consul— Marine Animals — Mollusks — Yucatan 
Civilization— Pho3phoresence 50 

CHAPTER VL 

City of Veracruz— Yellow Fever— Atoyac River— Cordoba 
—City of Orizaba — El Borrego — Small Plaza — Beautiful 
Scenery— Village of Nogales— Mollusks— Cerro de Escamela 
—Fossils— Town of Maltrata— San Andres Chalchicomula-. . . 61 



CHAPTER VII. 

Humming-birds— Maguey and Pulque— The Asqent pf 
Orizaba— Hard Climbing— A Cold Night— Effect of Rarefied 
Atmosphere — Species of Birds 75 

CHAPTER VIII. 

City of Mexico — Patios — Plaza Major — Paseo de la 
Reforma— Interesting objects — Soldiers— Famous Cathedral- 
Grand View— National Palace— Hand Tree— Academy of San 
Carlos— Aztec Feather Work— National Library— Names of 
Streets— Hotels and Theatres— Monte de Piedad— National 
Museum— Rare Specimens— Birds — Antiquities — Anales of 
Museum 82 

CHAPTER IX. 

Chapultepec— Helix— "West Point" of^ Mexico— People 
of Mexico — Peon— Mestizo — Creole — Leporos — Aquador— 
Axolotl , no 

CHAPTER X. 

Amecameca — Mountain Scenery — Popocatepetl — Giant 
Crater— Steep Ascent— La Cima— La Gran Ciudadxde Lerma— 
Extinct Volcano — Toluca — Native Home — Ixtaccihuatl — 
Terrific Thunder Storm— Huge Glacier— Once the Giant of 
Mexican Volcanoes' 

CHAPTER XL 

Zopilote Canon— Morelia—Patzcuaro— Hilly Town—Lake 
Patzcuaro — Magnificent View — Duck Shooting — Peculiar 
Canoes -Uninhabited Island— Mullusks— Valley of Jorullo- " 
Change of Climate— Volcano of Jorullo— Crater— La Playa- 
Cinco de Mayo ^, ny 

CHAPTER XII. 

Sacro Monte— Cuautla— Town of Yautepec— Cerro de 
Calveria— New Species Discovered— Cretaceous Limestone- 
Concert of Frogs— Zumpango— Drainage of Mexico— Tree of 
the Sad Night— Town of Tehuacan— Beautiful Mosaics— San 
Antonio— Absence of Animal Life 12(3 



104 



CITAPTER XIII. 

Battle of Cerro Gordo — Jalapa — Vanilla Plant — Convent 
of San Francisco — Playing the Bear — Mexican Courtship 
— Lover's Guide — Ancient Population — Village of San Juan 
Primeval Forest — Lycopodiums — Giant Trees — Paroquets — 
Return to Veracruz ". 133 

CHAPTER XIV. 

City of Vera Cruz — A City of the Dead — Population — 
Plaza — Alameda — Zopilote — Poor Harbor — Coral Reefs — 
Abundant Invertebrate Life — Crabs — Mullusks — Sad Accident 
— Journey Home 139 



IIvI^USXRATIONS. 



1. Map of Yucatan Frontispiece. 

2. Gate in Merida ii 

3. Group of Native Yucatecans 13 

4. Mexican Parrot 25 

5. Skinning Birds at Tunkas 27 

6. Mexican Goshawk 28 

7. Cylindrella Speluncse, var Dubia 33 

8. House of the Dwarf 40 

9. Room in the House of the Governor 42 

10. The Maya Arch 45 

11. Oryzosoma Tabiensis, Pilsbry 47 

12. A Volan Coche 50 

13. Ruined Buildings 51 

14. Ruins of Labna go 

15. Cylindrella 60 

16. Map of Central Mexico • • 61 

17. Atoyac Falls 63 

18. Carychium Mexicanum 69 

19. Patula Intonsa, Pilsbry 71 

20. San Andres y^ 

21. Mexican Crossbill yg 

22. Our Camp on Orizaba 78 

23. Peak of Orizaba 80 

24. The Cathedral 86 

25. Hall of Antiquities gy 

26. Helix Aspersa, Mull gg 

27. Montezuma's Tree 100 

28. An Ice Cream Vender 102 

29. Ixtaccihuatl ug 

30. Scene in the Market ng 

31. Physa Osculans, Hald 121 

32. Planorbis Tenuis, Phil 121 

33. In the Valley of Jorullo 122 

34. Tyrannus Vociferus, Sw. 123 

35. Volcano of Jorullo 124 

36. Patamopyrgus Bakeri, Pilsbry 128 

37. Tree of the Sad Night 130 

38. Mexican Courtship loc 

39. Zopilote 141 

40. City of Veracruz 142 

41. Purpura Hsemastoma, Linn 144 



A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



CHAPTER I. 

We left Philadelphia on the morning of February 15th, 
and reached New York City to find it clothed in a wintry 
garb. That afternoon we took passage on board the steam- 
ship Orizaba, of the Ward Steamship Company's Line. 
The mail steamer sailed promptly at the time assigned, 
hauled out into the stream by a couple of noisy little tugs, 
with two-inch hawsers made fast to stem and stern. Before 
sunset the pilot left the ship, which was then headed due 
south for Cuba. The sharp north-west wind, though blus- 
tering and aggressive, was in our favor, and helped us not 
a little on our journey. We doubled Cape Hatteras and 
Cape Lookout well in towards the shore, sighting on the 
afternoon of the third day the Island of Abaco, largest of 
the Bahama Isles. The woolen clothing worn when we 
came on board ship had already become oppressive, the 
cabin thermometer indicating 75^^ Fahrenheit. With nothing 
to engage the eye save the blue sky and the bluer water, 
the most is made of every circumstance at sea, and even 
trivial occurrences become notable. The playful dolphins 
went through their aquatic pantomines for our amusement. 
Half a dozen of them started off just ahead of the cut- 
water, and raced the ship for two hours, keeping exactly 
the same relative distance ahead without any apparent ef- 
fort. The broken main-mast of a ship, floating, with consid- 
erable top hamper attached, was passed, suggestive of a 
recent wreck. 



2 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

The voyager in these latitudes is constantly saluted by 
gentle breezes impregnated with tropical fragrance, intensi- 
fied in effect by the distant view of palmetto trees, clothing 
the islands and growing down to the water's very edge. As 
■we glide along, little groups of flying-fish are seen enjoying 
an air bath, either in frolic or in fear; pursued, may be, by 
some aquatic enemy, to escape from whom they essay these 
aerial flights. On the port side may be seen the dim outline 
of the Bahamas. Here is the harvest field of the conchol- 
ogist, the beaches and coral reefs affording an abundant 
supply of exquisitely colored shells of many different 
species. 

It was interesting to remain on deck at night and watch 
the heavens, as we glided silently through the phosphores- 
cent sea. Was it possible the grand luminary, which ren- 
dered objects so plain that one could almost read fine print 
with no other help, shone solely by borrowed light? We 
all know it to be so, and also that Venus, Mars, Jupiter, 
and Saturn shine in a similar manner with light reflected 
from the sun. 

We were now running through the Florida Straits, 
where one branch of the Gulf Stream finds its way north- 
ward. The Gulf Stream! Who can explain the mystery 
of its motive power; what keeps its tepid waters in a course 
of thousands of miles from mingling with the rest of the 
sea; whence does it come? The accepted theories are 
familiar enough, but it is hard to believe them. 

On the morning of the fourth day we sighted the Island 
of Cuba, and studied its long, bold outline. Soon after 
sighting the island, the famous Moro Castle is seen. This 
antique, yellow, Moorish-looking stronghold is picturesque 
to the last degree, with its crumbling, honeycombed battle- 
ments, and queer little flanking turrets, grated windows, 
and shadowy towers. It is built upon the face of a lofty, 



HA VANA. 3 

dun-colored rock, upon whose precipitous side the fortifica- 
tion is terraced. It stands just at the entrance of the nar- 
row channel leading to the city, so that in passing in, one 
can easily exchange greetings with the sentry on the outer 
battlement. 

On the opposite shore the battery of La Punta stands 
guard ever that side of the channel. Passing through the 
■narrow channel between these two fortifications we entered 
the harbor, steamed up the strait to where it widens into a 
basin, made fast to a buoy, and had our first glimpse of 
cocoa-palms. Some harbor-boats took us ashore. We 
landed at broad stone steps pervaded by smells, passed into 
the Custom House, and out of it into paved lanes full of 
donkeys, negroes, soldiers, sellers of fruit and lottery-tick- 
ets, engaged in transactions in a debased fractional currency. 
The money of the debt-ridden island is that of our "shin- 
plaster" war period. A couple of boiled eggs in a common 
restaurant cost forty cents; a ride in a horse-car thirty-five. 
The wages of a minor clerk at the same time were but ^40 
or $50 a month. How does he make ends meet and pro- 
vide for his future? 

Havana is a thoroughly representative city — Cuban and 
nothing else. Its history embraces in no small degree that 
of all the island, being the center of its talent, wealth, and 
population. The harbor, or bay, is shaped like one's out- 
spread hand, with the wrist for an entrance, and is populous 
with the ships of all nations. It presents at all times a 
scene of great maritime activity. Besides the national ships 
of other countries and those of Spain, mail steamers from 
Europe and America are coming and going daily; also 
coasting steamers from the eastern and southern shores of 
the island, added to regular lines for Mexico and the isl- 
ands of the Caribbean Sea. The large ferry steamers ply- 
ing constantly between the. city and the Regla shore, the 



4 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

fleet of little sailing boats, foreign yachts, and row-boats, 
glancing in the burning sunlight, created a scene of great 
maritime interest. 

The city presents a large extent of public buildings, 
cathedrals, antique and venerable churches. . There is 
nothing grand in its appearance as one enters the harbor 
and comes to anchor. Its multitude of churches, domes, 
and steeples are not architecturally remarkable, and are 
dominated by the colossal prison near the shore. This im- 
mense quadrangular edifice flanks the Punta, and is de- 
signed to contain five thousand prisoners at a time. The 
low hills which make up the distant background are not 
sufficiently high to add much to the general effect. The few 
palm trees which catch the eye here and there give an Oriental 
aspect to the scene, quite in harmony with the atmospheric 
tone of intense sunshine. Neither the city nor its immedi- 
ate environs is elevated, so that the whole impression is 
that of flatness, requiring some strength of background to 
form a complete picture. 

The low-lying, many-colored city of Havana was orig- 
inally surrounded by a wall, though the population has long 
since extended its dwellings and business structures far into 
what was, half a century since, the suburbs. A portion of 
the old wall is still extant, crumbling and decayed, but it 
has mostly disappeared. The narrow streets are paved or 
macadamized, and cross each other at right angles, like 
those of Philadelphia. There are no sidewalks, unless a 
narrow line of flagstones can be so called, and in fact 
the people have less use for them where nearly every 
one rides in a victoria, the fare being but sixteen cents per 
mile. 

The architecture of the dwelling-houses is exceedingly 
heavy, giving them the appearance of great age. They are 
built of the porous stone so abundant upon the island, 



BOTANICAL GARDEN. 5 

which, though soft when at first worked into suitable blocks, 
becomes as hard as granite by exposure to the atmosphere. 
The fagades of the town houses are nearly always covered 
with stucco. The dwelling houses are universally so con- 
structed as to form an open square in the center, which 
constitutes the only yard, or court, that is attached. The 
house is divided into a living room, a store-room, chambers, 
and stable, all upon one floor. If there is a second story, 
a broad flight of steps leads to it, and there are the family 
chambers, or sleeping apartments, opening upon a corridor 
which extends round the court. 

The Botanical Garden, one of the many attractions of 
Havana, is situated about a mile from the city proper, ad- 
joining which are the attractive grounds of the Governor- 
General's country house. Both are open to the public and 
richly repay a visit. The Governor's grounds are shaded 
by a great variety of tropical trees and flowers. Altogether, 
the place is a wilderness of blossoms composed of exotic 
and native flowers. There is also an interesting aviary to 
be seen here, and a small artificial lake is covered with 
web-footed birds and brilliant-feathered ducks. The gar- 
dens seem to be neglected, but they are very lovely in their 
native luxuriance. Dead wood and decaying leaves are 
always a concomitant of such gardens in the low latitudes. 
Here is a great variety of the scarlet hibiscus and the gar- 
land of night, which grows like a young palm to eight or 
nine fedt, throwing out from the center of its drooping 
foliage a cluster of brown blossoms tipped with white, 
shaped like a mammoth bunch of grapes. It blooms at 
night, and is fragrant only by moon and starlight. 

Late in the afternoon of the 21st we left Havana, and 
turned our prow toward Progreso, Yucatan, expecting to 
arrive there on the 23rd. The nights of the latter part of 
February in this latitude were exceedingly beautiful, and 



6 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

solemnly impressive was the liberal splendor of the sky. 
The full moon looked down upon and was reflected by 
waters of perfect smoothness. The air was as mild as June 
in Pennsylvania, while at night the Southern Cross and the 
North Star blazed in the horizon at the same time. As we 
steered westward, after leaving Havana, both of these 
heavenly sentinels were seen abeam, the constellation on 
our port side and the North Star on our starboard. 

On the morning of the 23rd we reached Progreso, and 
came to anchor four miles from shore. It was necessary to 
keep at this distance on account of the extreme shallowness 
of the water, and, also, to be in readiness for the sudden 
advent af a norther. We procured a shore boat to take us 
and our baggage on shore, and landed at a wharf covered 
with bales of hemp and brown-skinned natives with white 
suits on. The customs examinations were soon passed, 
and we were at liberty to go wherever our own will should 
lead us. 

Progreso, like some of our new western cities, is 
better laid out than settled. It has its straight, broad 
streets running through chaparral, its grand plaza, with 
scarcely a corner of it yet occupied, and its corner lots at 
fabulous prices. The market- place is a projecting, thatched 
roof over the side of a one-story edifice. On mats sit 
brown old ladies, with almost equally old-looking vegeta- 
bles. Here are oranges, bananas, black beans, squash 
seeds boiled in molasses, a sort of candy, and other escu- 
lents, to us unknown. 

The houses of Progreso are of one story, of mortar or 
thatch, covered with a high roof of thatch. This high 
roof is open inside, and makes them shady and cool. The 
sides are also often of thatch, and they look like a brown 
dwarf with a huge, brown straw sombrero pulled over his 
eyes. Some of these built of mortar have ornamental 



PROGRESO. 7 

squares in the sides, where shells are carefully set in vari- 
ous shapes in the mortar, and which make a pleasing 
effect, the diamonds and other shapes giving the walls a 
variety that is really artistic. Here I first tasted the sort 
of chocolate of which Montezuma was so fond. A brown, 
brawny Indian made us a cup of the same in a corner caf^. 
It is prepared in milk, and is a thick, soft liquid that melts 
on your tongue. One must come to Mexico to know how 
"chocolatte" can taste. 

The fields about Progreso have chiefly shrubs and 
cacti. Beautiful flowers of purple, yellow, and crimson 
abound. Here the heliotrope grows wild, the fragrant 
purple flower that is scattered so generally at funerals. 
The sweet-pea and other cultivated delights of the northern 
hot-house and garden, are blooming abundantly. 

The cocoa-palm throws out its long spines', deep 
green, thrust straight out from a gray trunk,, that looks as 
if wrapped in old clothes against the cold. This gray bark 
is a striking offset to the dark, rich leaves, which are the 
branches themselves. Where these leaves push forth from 
the trunk, from ten to fifty feet from the ground, a cluster 
of green balls, of various sizes and ages, is hanging. Then 
the black shell known to us is reached, and inside of that, 
not the thick, white substance we find on opening it, but a 
thin, soft layer, or third rind, the most of the hollow being 
filled with milk. Later in the season the milk coagulates 
to meat, and the cocoanut of commerce is completed. 

The people are chiefly natives; not of the Aztec, but 
Toltec variety. This is a nation hundreds of years older 
than the Aztecs, and who are supposed to be the builders 
of the famous monuments of Central America, and to have 
been driven from Mejdco southward about a thousand 
years ago. Both sexes wear white, the men and boys hav- 
ing often one leg of their ox)users rolled up, for what pur- 



8 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

pose we could not guess, unless it be for the more cleanly 
fording of the brooklets and mudlets that occur. The 
women wear a skirt of white, and a loose white waist sep- 
arate from the skirt, and hanging sometimes near to the 
bottom of the under garment. This over-skirt, or robe, is 
ornamented with fringe and borders worked in blue. The 
head-dress is a shawl, or mantle, of light cotton gauze, of 
blue or purple, thrown gracefully over the head and 
shoulders. 

Before leaving Progreso for Merida we engaged the 
services of a Spaniard, Senor Lopez by name, who spoke 
English, Spanish, and Maya (the native tongue), to act 
as our interpreter during our stay in Yucatan. He proved a 
most valuable adjunct to our party. A little before 5 o'clock 
p. M. we boarded the train for Merida. Before leaving the 
depot we were accosted by a gentleman, who introduced 
himself as Colonel Glenn, and who extended to us an invita- 
tion to visit his railroad construction camp, situated near 
the town of Tekanto. We accepted his kind invitation, and 
promised soon to see him and his camp. At 5 o'clock sharp 
the train pulled out from Progreso, and we were soon steam- 
ing rapidly toward the capital of Yucatan. 

The character of the country for some little distance 
outside of Progreso was decidedly swampy. A short dis- 
tance beyond the town we crossed a broad lagoon, in Avhich 
was said to abound many species of wild fowl. As our 
train sped along, numbers of birds rose upon either side, 
and with discordant cries flew deeper into the swamp. I 
noticed particularly several large herons, which I judged 
were the common Great Blue Heron of our southern 
states. Several egrets, and numerous members of the 
raptoral, or hawk, order of birds were seen. The land soon 
changed from swampy to very dry, and continued thus the 
remainder of the journey. In many places whole acres 



HOTEL YU CAT ECO. 9 

were seen under cultivation, henequen being the principal 
article. This henequen, the substance from which the 
famous Sisal hemp is made, is a Maguey plant (the Agave 
Sisalensis of botanists), and much resembles the plant 
found on the plains of Apam, in Mexico, from which the 
celebrated Mexican drink, pulque, is made. The growing 
of henequen is one of the chief industries of Yucatan, if 
not the chief one. In the distance several ruined mounds 
were seen, but nothing which gave, us the faintest concep- 
tion of the grand and wonderful buried cities of the 
interior. 

After a two hours' ride we reached Merida, a little after 
dark. We put up at the Hotel Yucateco, the best hotel in 
the city, kept by Senor Escalente, a very worthy and oblig- 
ing gentleman. After supper, eaten in a cafe kept in a 
grocery store, we examined more closely our quarters. The 
rooms were all situated on the ground floor, and were 
about twenty-five feet in height, twenty in length, and 
fifteen in width, with a cloth partition extending half-way to 
the ceiling, making two rooms of one. The furniture con- 
sisted of a bed, chair, and wash-stand; the bed clothing 
of but a pair of sheets! 

We were awakened early next morning by the clanging 
of the bells of the cathedral close by. One of these bells 
was cracked, and produced a most doleful sound. After 
making a careful toilet, for it was Sunday, we made a more 
accurate survey of our surroundings than we were able to 
do the evening before. Our room looked very prison-like 
with its barred windows, the early morning light streaming 
through, and its high, plastered walls. It brought forcibly 
to mind the pictures I had seen of Columbus in prison. 
Stepping from our room we entered a spacious court-yard, 
upon which all the rooms opened. In the center of this 
court yard was an ancient well, and beside it a modern 



10 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

steam-pump, a strange object to see beside so antique a 
well. Several tree-like vines werd growing in the court, 
and upon the ground several bright plumaged birds were 
feeding. Altercating a light breakfast we left the hotel to 
look about the city. 

Merida is a city of about forty thousand inhabitants, 
situated twenty miles from Progreso. It stands on a great 
plain, on a surface of limestone rock, and the temperature 
and climate are said to be very uniform. The general 
aspect of the city is Moorish, as it was built at a time when 
the Moorish style prevailed in Spanish architecture. The 
houses are large, generally of stone, and one story in 
height, with balconies to the windows, and large court- 
yards. The windows are invariably barred, which giv§ the 
houses a prison-like aspect. In the center of the city 
stands the plaza major, or great square. This is about six 
hundred feet square. The east side is occupied by the 
cathedral and the various quarters of the bishop. On the 
north stands a long, low, two-storied building, the lower 
story occupied by stores, restaurants, and offices. The 
upper story is devoted to private dwelling apartments. On 
the west is the government municipal building, its front 
supported upon arches, the long colonnades giving it an im- 
posing appearance, it being a handsome stone building of 
good dinlensions. On the south is a building which at- 
tracted our attention as soon as we entered the plaza. It 
is distinguished by a richly-sculptured '^agade of very curious 
design. The subject represents two knights in armor, 
standing on the shoulders of naked figures, probably rep- 
resenting the conquering Spaniard trampling upon the 
fallen native. It is i)robably native work from Spanish 
design. In this fagade is a stone with the following in- 
scription: 



OLD GATE. 



II 



ESTA OBRA MANDO HACERLA EL 

ADELANTADO DON FRANCISCO DE MONTEJO. 

Ano de MDXLIX., 

which, translated into English, means: "The Adelantado 
Don Francisco Montejo caused this to be erected in the 
year 1549." This is said to be one of the oldest buildings 
in Merida, and also one of the oldest in Yucatan. It was 
erected five years after the foundation of the city. 

Eight streets lead from the plaza, two in the direction 
of each cardinal point. In every street, at the distance of 
a few yards, is a gate, now in a state of ruin, and beyond 
are the suburbs. In the center of the plaza is an object 

which seems out of place among 
the old buildings, viz., an elec- 
tric light, placed at the top of a 
very high, ladder-like platform. 
Beneath this electric light "pole'' 
is a beautiful fountain. Seats 
are placed in convenient places 
GATE IN MEEiDA. for the comfort of those visiting 

the plaza. The whole is surrounded by an iron fence. 

This plaza was the scene of a great battle, in 1540, be- 
tween the Spaniards and natives, . the latter numbering 
70,000, while the former numbered but 200; so says the 
historian. The natives, however, were defeated, but not 
until they had killed or wounded nearly all the Spaniards. 
A large mound once stood on the ground now occupied by 
the plaza; it was razed to the ground by the Spaniards, and 
from it, and numerous ancient buildings, the present city 
of Merida was built. 

The great distinguishing feature of Merida, asof al! the 
cities of the Spanish- American countries, is in its churches. 
The great cathedral, the Church of the Jesuits, the 




12 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

Church of San Cristoval, the Chapel of San Juan Bautista, 
and the convent of Mejorada, are all interesting. Many of 
them are of good style of architecture, and rich in orna- 
ments. Of the many churches of the city, the cathedral, 
situated, as before said, on the east side of the plaza, is the 
largest and most interesting. While the service was yet in 
progress we entered and stood near the door, the better to 
study the interior. At the extreme end stood the altar, 
upon a raised platform about thirty feet in height, elabor- 
ately carved and ornamented. Upon either side, in large 
cases, were life-size wax figures of biblical characters. The 
organ was situated on the right-hand side. The center of 
the church rose in a spacious dome of great height. Sev_ 
eral priests were officiating at the altar, and the floor of the 
church was covered with kneeling women dressed in white. 
Through the entire body of the church not a man was to be 
seen. The music slowly died away, and the women rose 
from their knees, appearing like a white cloud; but, as they 
turned toward the door, the horizon became dusky with 
black faces, the whole front rank being composed of na- 
tives. The Spanish ladies occupied the part of the church 
immediately in front of the altar. It was a beautiful sight 
to see that party of pretty native girls, many of whom 
were of a decidedly handsome cast, slowly file out. 

After dinner we walked out one of the streets leading 
north from the plaza. On either side of the street were the 
huts of the natives They were built of stone and mortar, 
and roofed over, or thatched, with palm leaves. Sometimes 
there was a window, but more often two doors facing each 
other on opposite sides, and in the center, of the hut. They 
were set back a few feet from the road, and were, in most 
cases, surrounded by a stonewall. Inside they contained 
but one room, with a fire place in one end, and several ham- 
mocks swung in the other. At one of these huts we 




r 




Vi 



SUBURBS OF ME RID A. 13 

secured a photograph of a group of native men, women, . 
and children. 

Along the walls, and in the fields bordering the road, 
we searched for fossils, and succeeded in finding several 
fine specimens. We found here several fossil mollusks 
identical with those found in the Caloosahatchie beds of 
southern Florida. This fact seemed to point toward a later 
geological period than is generally assigned to Yucatan, 
and showed it to be clearly related to the Post Pliocene of 
Florida. We also found large numbers of land shells 
about the stone walls bordering the road, and occasionally 
a lively little lizard would start from a crevice and scamper 
under a projecting rock. 

As we penetrated farther into the country, birds, and 
animal life in general, became more abundant. Bright plu- 
maged birds flew from tree to tree, and gaudy butterflies 
flitted slowly by. Among the birds we could distinguish 
such species as the Great tailed Grackle, numerous fly- 
catchers and jays. The most noticeable objects were a 
number of turkey vultures, who were regaling themselves 
on the half-eaten carcass of a horse. These vultures are 
great scavengers, and quickly devour any refuse matter, or 
dead animal, that is left where they can get at it. They are 
the chief garbage gatherers of Mexico, and a fine is imposed 
for killing them. We returned to the city toward nightfall, 
and spent the evening listening to a very good band in the 
plaza major. 

It was in the year 1506 that Juan Dias de Solis discov- 
■ ered the east coast of Yucatan, and sailed along ic some dis- 
tance. On the 8th of February, 1517, Francisco Hernan- 
dez de Cordova landed at Cape Cotoche, was attacked 
by the natives, and a battle ensued, in which the latter 
were repulsed with great slaughter. They next landed at 
Campeachy, and noted a city there composed of stone 



14 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

houses. They next landed at a town called Champoton for 
water, and a terrific battle took place between the Spaniards 
and natives, in which fifty seven Spaniards were killed and 
many wounded. On the 6th of April, 1518, another ex- 
pedition, under command of Juan de Grijalva, set forth, and 
discovered the Island of Cozumel. They landed at Cham- 
poton, called by the Spaniards Bay de Mai a Pclca, or "of 
the bad fight," and another battle ensued, in which the 
Spaniards were compelled to retreat to their ships. 

In the year 1527, Don Francisco Montejo set sail from 
Seville in four vessels, with four hundred men, for the con- 
quest of Yucatan. They landed at the Island of Cozumel, 
took a native for an interpreter, sailed to the mainland, and 
landed all the Spanish soldiers. Under the guidance of the 
native from Cozumel they marched along the coast, and, 
without receiving any resistance from the natives, arrived at 
Conil. From Conil the expedition marched to the province 
of Choaca, and from there to Ak6, where they were con- 
fronted by a multitude of natives. Here a fearful battle en- 
sued, which lasted two days, and ended in the defeat of the 
natives with more than 1,200 of their number killed. From 
Ak6 the Spaniards went to Chichen Itza. Here the 
Adelantado divided his forces, and sent Captain Davila 
with sixty-six men to Ba Khalal. Those left at Chichen 
Itza were soon in a very desperate condition. An immense 
multitude of natives having assembled before them, the 
Spaniards sallied forth, and a terrific battle followed. Great 
slaughter was made among the natives, and one hundred 
and fifty Spaniards were killed. 

Two years later, Captain Davila and the Adelantado, 
after much suffering, met again at Campeachy. The suffer- 
ings of the little band at Campeachy were terrible, and after 
enduring the hardships until all but five were reduced to 
sickness, they abandoned the place. 



HISTORY. 15 

We next hear of the attempt to conquer the country by 
converting the natives to Christianity. The Franciscan 
Friar, Jacob de Festera, with four companions, set out to 
convert the country. This project, after a trial, failed. 

In 1537, the Adelantado again landed in Yucatan, at 
Champoton, where another terrific battle took place. For 
several years the Spaniards remained at this place. In 
1539, the Adelantado put in the hands of his son the pacifi- 
cation of Yucatan. Again setting out, the Spaniards 
marched from Champoton to Campeachy, their line of 
march being marked by numerous battles with the natives. 
Don Francisco now sent his cousin. Captain Francisco de 
Montejo, into Quepech, to found a city in the native town 
of Tihoo. In the year 1540 he arrived at Tihoo. Here 
occurred one of the most sanguinary battles of the conquest, 
70,000 natives against 200 Spaniards, in which the natives 
were defeated with great slaughter. The caciques, finding 
it impossible to drive the Spaniards from the country, came 
to Don Francisco with offers of peace. On the 6th of Jan- 
uary, 1542, on the site of the native town of Tihoo, the 
very '^loyal and noble" city of Merida was founded. Five 
years later the- curious house was built of which we before 
spoke. From that time to the present the Spanish speak- 
ing people have held undisputed sway in Yucatan. 

We spent the following day in looking about the city. 
Under the guidance of a gentleman whom we had met at 
the hotel, we traversed the city in every direction. Of 
especial interest to us were the cenotes, or natural wells. 
One which we visited was situated in the rear of a grocery 
in the northern part of the city. It was thirty-five feet in 
depth from the surface of the earth to that of the water, 
and the latter, in its deepest part, measured about five feet. 
Leading from the surface to the floor of the cenote was a 
stone stair-case, well worn as though it had been much used 



16 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

in times past. On the sides of the well were stone benches, 
and in one end the floor shelved down to the water's edge. 
The water was of a bluish color, and had a taste of sulphur. 
This cenote, its roof and bare, was an immense fossil for- 
mation. Marine shells were conglomerated together in 
solid masses, many of the shells being very perfect. It 
was used for bathing purposes during the dry season, and 
also to furnish water to the inhabitants. 

While returning to our hotel we passed several natives 
with bundles of ramon, or fodder, on their backs. They 
were know n as venedors de ramon, or sellers of ramon, and 
they seemed to do a thriving business. Several calezis con- 
taining handsome senoras and senoritas were also passed. 
These calezas were drawn by a single horse or mule, the 
driver being perched on his back, and were very curious and 
interesting vehicles. 

A visit to Merida is not complete without visiting the 
market. This is situated in the southern part of the town, 
and is a large and roomy building. Hee were displayed 
for sale all kinds of meats, vegetables, fruits, sweetmeats, 
toys, wearing apparel, and in fact about everything to be 
found in Yucatan. The servants of the well-to-do people 
were here getting their daily provisions. One young native 
woman I noticed particularly. With her were two small 
children, and at her breast was a young child apparently 
about nine months old. She was very pretty, with a shapely 
head covered with an abundant growth of glossy black hair. 
Her features were regular, and her form graceful and sym- 
metrical in outline. She wore the usual dress of the native 
population. This consisted of a skirt, called 2. pic, extending 
from the waist to the ankles, and an outside over-skirt, or 
uipil, extending from the shoulders to the knees. It was 
cut low in the neck, was without sleeves, and elaborately 
embroidered. She was barefooted and bareheaded. 



FRANCISCAN CONVENT. 17 

In the eastern part of the city is situated a second, but 
much smaller market, where the merchants, if such they 
may be called, sit cross-legged before a piece of straw mat- 
ting, upon which is displayed for sale beans, maize, fruits, 
etc. Here, also, is the abode of the pottery and leather 
trade in Merida. 

Near this smaller market is the old Franciscan convent, 
built on the site of an ancient temple. It stands on an 
eminence, and is enclosed by a high stone wall, now in 
ruins. It is now called the Castillo, and is used as barracks 
for a regiment of soldiery. It was once a powerful factor 
among the people, and its walls sheltered three hundred 
Franciscan monks; but by the new constitution obtained by 
the revolutionists in Spain, in 1820, the monks were driven 
out, their order destroyed, and they themselves obliged to 
flee for their lives. Inside the convent the noise of an anvil 
could be heard, and several Mestizos were seen at a black- 
smith's forge. This convent contains one memorial of far 
more interest than the old convent. In one of the-corridors 
going north is seen that peculiar arch so puzzling to arch- 
aeologists — two sides rising to meet each other, and cov- 
ered, when within about a foot of each other, by a flat 
layer of stones. 

On the afternoon of our third day in Merida we left 
that city for Tekanto to visit Col. Glenn's railway camp, he 
having reported that region as abounding in interest to the 
naturalist and antequarian. The scenery was the same as 
that about Merida — flat and dry. At dusk we reached 
Tekanto, and were met there by the colonel's locomotive, 
which was to convey us ffom the latter place to the con- 
struction camp. A twenty minutes' ride brought us to the 
camp, and we alighted in front of a freight-car, in which a 
bountiful supper, and the colonel also, was waiting to re- 
ceive us. While the meal was in progress we took a mental 



18 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

inventory of our surroundings. It was an ordinary freight- 
car turned into a house. In each end were two cot beds, 
in the center the table at which we were eating, and about 
the walls hung hats, coats, guns, and other objects. Three 
lamps with powerful reflectors gave us ample light. 

After supper we paid our respects to Mrs. Glenn, an 
estimable lady, who was braving the hardships of a con- 
struction camp that she might be with her husband. As we 
walked from our "dining" car to that occupied by the 
colonel, we passed the camp of the men engaged on the 
construction. Fires were burning, and groups of men 
standing or lying about them. Here was a group amusing 
itself singing songs, there another listening to the jokes or 
stories of one of its members- The night was beautifully 
clear, and objects about us could be as plainly distinguished 
as by day. The queen of night sailed high in the heavens, 
which were bespangled with millions of stars. Having paid 
our respects to the "lady of the camp," we returned to our 
car and were soon in the "arms of Morpheus." 



CHAPTER II. 

We were awakened by the shrill whistle of the loco- 
motive, summoning the men to their labors. All was bustle 
and confusion. The men were gathered about the water- 
tank, performing their morning toilet. Breakfast was soon 
announced, and the men rushed pell mell to their seats at a 
long table. They fell to eating with a will, and for some 
time nothing was heard but the steady click, click of the 
knives against the plates. Soon they had emptied their 
plates and eaten everything within reach, and were calling 
for more. One tall negro at the foot of the table rose, and 
pulling from its sheath a knife, or machete, flourished it in 
the air, shouting at the same time, "Heah, waiter, bring 
some moah meat heah, or I'll scalp yer!" At this there was 
a general laugh among the men. 

The colonel's men were of a rather mixed character as 
regarded nationality. There were English, Scotch, Irish, 
Germans, Americans, Spaniards, Negroes and Yucatecans; in 
fact. Col. Glenn boasted of having about every nation repre- 
sented in his camp. They were dressed in all manner of 
costumes, from old, half-worn-out black suits to overalls 
and jumpers. 

After breakfast I took my gun, and made^ an excursion 
into the woods near the camp. The morning was beauti- 
ful, the air crisp, and birds plentiful, and I had not been 
absent from camp but a short time before I had my pockets 
filled with small birds. One of the first objects which 
greeted me was a beautiful bird I had not hitherto met 
with, namely, the Yucatan Cardinal Grosbeak, flocks of 
which I saw sporting about the low bashes. It was a small 
bird with bright red plumage. It was a glorious morning. 



20 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

the sun not having risen high enough to be uncomfortable; 
the air had a balmy smell, and the woods teemed with ani- 
mal life; everything seemed here to delight the heart of the 
naturalist. The country about the colonel's camp was flat, 
dry, and covered with a growth of low bushes; but few 
large trees were seen. The woods abounded with wood- 
peckers, jays, crotophagas, and hawks. One fact which I 
noticed particularly was the scarcity of insect life. Hardly 
an insect was to to be seen, save an occasional butterfly or 
spider. About the roots of trees I found heaps of land 
shells, but all were dead. 

During one of our excursions we ran across a flock of 
Ocellated Turkeys, but did not succeed in obtaining a 
specimen. This species is quite rare, and specimens are 
much needed in our museums. 

On the afternoon of the 28th we engaged a volan and 
driver, and started on a journey toward Valladolid. This 
volan, or volan coclic, as the Yucatecans called it, was a heavy, 
clumsy affair, but admirably adapted for the rough roads 
of the country. It was supported upon two large wooden 
wheels, about as heavy as those used upon our trucks, 
placed at either end of an eight-foot axle. Upon this axle 
was a. frame- work like our ice-cart covers, supported by a 
heavy wooden frame. There were no springs, and the 
jolting was something awful. It was drawn by three dimin- 
utive burros^. 

The driver, whom we christened, for want of a better 
name, "Isaac McGinty," was a little, dried-up native of 
uncertain age. He had the usual coppery color and small 
stature of the Maya people, and was of a most taciturn 
disposition. His dress consisted of white jacket and 
pants, sandals, kept in place by a string drawn between the 
great toe and the next, and a scrape, or blanket, of many 
colors, drawn tightly about his person. These scrapes 



HENEQUEN. 21 

seemed to be quite a favorite object of wearing apparel with 
the Yucatecans, and the brighter and more varied the colors, 
the better was the garment liked. 

The day was most brilliant; the sky without a cloud. 
In fact, it was one of those glorious days preceding the 
rainy season. The radiation of heat from the limestone 
road was visible by the quivering motion of the air about 
it. We saw and heard but few birds; a few cattle, belonging 
to a hacienda near by, were seen congregating beneath the 
friendly shelter of a wide-spreading tree. , The very soil 
was warm beneath our feet, and we were exceedingly re- 
lieved to reach a large hacienda, about noon, where we 
halted to rest, eat our lunch, and slake our burning thirst. 

This hacienda was devoted pfincipally to the cultiva- 
tion of henequen. This henequen is first cut from the stem 
quite near . the ground, then carried to the mill where it 
is torn into shreds by machinery, and then hung upon rails 
in the sun to dry, after which it is put up in bales which are 
compressed by machinery. The whole process is at once 
simple and effective, and a great quantity may be baled in 
a single day. The henequen arrives at maturity, or at a 
point ready for cutting, in from five to seven years. The 
leaves, when at their best, are from four to five feet in 
length. Each plant yields 20 or 30 leaves yearly for a pe- 
riod of 12 to 20 years, about a third more in the rainy than 
in the dry season. It takes over 8,000 leaves to make a 
400-pound bale. The bales vary in weight from 350 to 450 
pounds each. 

We ate our lunch beneath the friendly shade of a ceiba 
tree near an old well, from which the water was drawn by 
means of an endless chain of buckets, propelled by a long 
pole acting upon a series of wooden cogs. Here I tasted 
for the first time the sepote, a fruit resembling our peach, of 
which I had heard much. It was very sweet and quite de- 



22 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

licious. While eating our lunch several native women 
came to the well, bearing cantaros, or water-jars, to draw 
water. They made a scene fit for a painter, dressed in their 
characteristic costume, standing beside the old well. From 
this hacienda we could see the large mound at Izamal, 
which was pnce used as a place of sacrifice by the ancient 
inhabitants. 

Again starting on our journey we passed through the 
plaza at Izamal, and entered a road leading to a little town 
called Sitilpech, in which we wished to pass the night. At 
the distance of a league we passed a fine hacienda, and at 
half-past five reached the village of Sitilpech, seven leagues 
from Tekanto. This village consisted of a few native huts, 
a couple of stone buildings facing the plaza, and an old 
Spanish church. The population was mostly native, very 
few of whom spoke anything but Maya. There was not a 
white man in the place. The village had but one principal 
street, which was the road over which we came, and which 
passed through the square near the church. We rode 
through the street without meeting a single person. 
Crossing the plaza we entered a grocery store, and 
obtained permission to store our baggage for the night; we 
also secured a good supper of beans, soup, and tortillas. Not 
being able to secure accommodations in any of the huts, we 
made our beds on the ground in front of the church, and 
soon fell asleep. 

We awoke with sore and aching limbs, but, withal, 
ready for a fresh start. Early in the day the clouds gath- 
ered and the rain came down in torrents, completely drench- 
ing us. Not wishing to lose a day on account of the rain, 
we hitched up and followed the road eastward. We passed 
down a long street leading through the suburbs of the village; 
beyond this our road lay across a tract of country, wild and 
stony, covered with the same vegetation noticed about Col. 



CENOTES, 23 

Glenn's camp. Foiiowing this road for about two miles we 
reached a cross-road, into which we turned. Here the veg- 
etation changed to a thick and luxuriant forest of turpen- 
tine, ceiba, and other large trees. Orchids were to be seen 
here in abundance, as well as numerous climbing plants. 
This luxuriance of vegetation indicated the presence of 
some body of water in the vicinity. Nor were we mistaken; 
for in ," few minutes we reached a point in the road, on each 
side of which was a large body of water enclosed in a cir- 
cular basin about one thousand feet in diameter, and some 
thirty feet below the level of the road. These were known 
as the twin cenotes, and were called Shkolak and Skashek. 

These cenotes were surrounded by dense vegetation, in 
which numerous birds were seen. Several snow-white 
egrets flew off as we approached, and several other species 
were seen standing about the margins of the pool. The 
water was filled with a kind of water-lily. Among the birds 
which inhabited this spot was the Mexican Jacana. It would 
start up at our approach and flyover the water, with its long 
feet stretched out behind, uttering a plaintive cry which 
was pitiful to hear. This bird was apparently quite com- 
mon, but none were captured. 

Several other birds started up as we worked our way 
through the vegetation, and one, which I had a good view 
of, seemed to be the Ardea cxrjilea, or Little Blue Heron of 
the States. In a little cove, under the overhanging bank, 
I found a species of Ampullaria (A. Yucatanensis), and a 
Pla7iorbis [P. Caribceus). In one portion of the cenote, where 
there were no lily pads, the bottom was covered with small 
stones, and from these I picked a number of small shells 
resembling a Patella {Ancylus excentricus). The banks 
were strewn with dead land shells, but not a single living 
land moUusk was to be found. The edge of this cenote was 
bordered by a thick growth of cane, so that shooting was 



24 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

ather difficult; and, indeed, had we shot any of the birds 

ve would not have been able to get them, as we had no 

joat and did not dare to wade in after them. Photographs 

were taken of both cenotes, together with several of the trees 

about. 

We returned to Sitilpech to spend the night. During 
the evening we had the pleasure of witnessing a native 
dance. As we approached we heard the noise of a drum, 
and, upon entering the enclosure, found the men seated on 
one side, and the women on the other. For some time there 
was no dancing; but, after a while, a young man stood up in 
the middle of the floor. Another, with a handkerchief in 
his hand having a knot tied in one end, walked along the 
line of women and threw the handkerchief at one, after 
doing which he returned to his seat. This was considered 
a challenge, and the woman rose, and, slowly taking her 
shawl from her head, placed herself opposite the young 
man, at a distance of about eight feet, and commenced danc- 
ing. The dance was called the toros, or the bull. The 
performers occasionally changed places; when the tune 
ended, the woman walked off. The master of ceremonies, 
called the bastanero, again walked along the line, and 
touched another woman in the same way, and she also 
danced with the young man for a time; and in this way 
they continued, the dancing man being always the same, 
and the partner being always provided for him. 

Early next morning the party divided, two members 
going north to visit Silam, and the balance, with the volan, 
continuing toward the east, Tunkas being our objective 
point, a village six leagues east of Sitilpech. The road 
for the first two miles was straight, level, stony, and unin- 
teresting. On both sides were low, thick woods, so that 
there was no view except that of the road before us. This, 
however, soon changed, and the next few miles brought us 




PARROTS. 25 

into a primeval forest of large trees, showing that beautiful, 
rich green foliage so characteristic of the tropics. Here I 
first heard the notes of the parrot; they flew over our heads 
in flocks of iifteen or twenty, utter- 
ing the most unearthly screams. We 
fired into several flocks and secured 
half a dozen specimens. They were 
the common green variety, but were 
very handsome specimens. 

We ate our dinner on the edge 
of a large cenote. I was disappointed 
in not meeting with many birds here, 
for the locality seemed very favorable 
to their habits. Occasionally we heard, 
MEXICAN PAKEOT. howcvcr, the long-drawn, wailing note 
of a jay somewhere in the adjacent woods; and, also, in the 
foliage edging the cenote, the noisy chattering of some 
small birds. Another bird had a most sweet and melan- 
choly song; it consisted simply of a few notes, uttered in a 
plaintive key, commenced high, and descended by harmonic 
intervals. It was probably a species of warbler, but we 
were unable to identify it. All these notes of birds were 
very striking, and characteristic of the forest. 

Late in the afternoon we again took up our line of 
march for Tunkas. As we continued our walk the brief 
twilight commenced, and the sounds of multifarious life 
came from the vegetation around. The whirring of cicadas; 
the shrill stridulation of a vast number and variety of field 
crickets and grasshoppers, each species sounding its pecul- 
iar note; the plaintive hooting of tree-frogs — all blended 
together in one continuous ringing sound, — the audible ex- 
pression of the teeming profusion of nature. As night 
came on, other species of animals joined the chorus. 

We arrived at Tunkas about 7:30 p. m. This village was 



26 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

of small size, containing but several hundred inhabitants. 
We succeeded in hiring a deserted hut, for the sum of one 
dollar a day, in which we swung our hammocks, and settled 
down for a few days' collecting. Our meals were taken in 
a grocery-store, and consisted of chocolate, black-beans 
{frijolas), tortillas, and beef. 

Next morning we arose with the sun, shouldered our 
guns, and walked down a road which ran east from the vil- 
lage. Bird-life was here quite abundant, and we added 
largely to our collections. Among the insects we were 
especially interested in the GEcodoma, or leaf-cutting ant. 
This ant was seen everywhere about the suburbs, marchirg to 
and fro in broad columns. The habit of this ant of clip- 
ping and carrying away immense quantities of leaves has 
long been recorded in books of natural history. When em- 
ployed on this work, their processions look like a multitude 
of animated leaves on the march. In the course of my col- 
lecting, I had plenty bf opportunities for observing them at 
work. They mount the trees in multitudes, the individuals 
being all workers. Each one places itself on the surface of 
a leaf, and cuts with its sharp, scissor-like jaws a nearly 
semi-circular incision on the upper side; it then takes the 
edge between its jaws, and by a sharp jerk detaches the 
piece. Sometimes they let the leaf drop to the ground, 
where a little heap accumulates, until carried off by another 
army of workers; but generally, each marches off with the 
piece it has operated upon, and all take the same road to 
their colony. It was a most interesting sight to see the 
vast host of busy workers occupied in this work. The leaves 
are used to thatch the domes which cover the entrances to 
their subterranean dwellings, thereby protecting from the 
deluging rains the young broods in the nests beneath. The 
nests of this ant are sometimes very extensive, being forty 
yards in circumference, but not more than two feet in 







/■■.■..■•iv;'i ■■ n\ M 



\^ M 



TROGANS. ^^1 

height. It is very rarely that ants are seen at work on these 
mounds, the entrances seem to be generally closed; only 
now and then are the galleries opened. 

The woods in the vicinity of Tunkas abound in various 
species of cacti, the most abundant form being that of the 
organ cactus, which grows to a height of from twenty to 
thirty feet. In one of these groves of cacti I first saw a 
trogan; it was seated alone on a branch, at no great eleva- 
tion; a beautiful bird, with glossy back and rose-colored 
breast. The note of this handsome bird, uttered at inter- 
vals in a- complaining tone, closely resembles the words 
''qua, qua." It is a dull, inactive bird, and does not read- 
ily take to flight when approached. 

We spent three days in this interesting village, and 
added largely to our coUections. Collecting, preparing our 
specimens, and making notes kept us well occupied. One 
day was so much like another that a description of each 
would be but a repetition. I was much interested one 
afternoon in the habits of a flock of blue jays; as I ap- 
proached the flock, they flew across the road in a perfect 
string, presenting a fine shot. 

The number and beauty of the birds did not equal our 
expectations. The majority we saw were small and ob- 
scurely colored; they were similar in general appearance to 
such as are met with in southern Florida. Occasionally a 
flock of parrots, green, with a patch of white on the fore- 
head, would come at early morning to the trees near our 
hut. They would feed quietly, sometimes chattering in 
subdued tones, but setting up a harsh scream and flying 
off, on being disturbed. Humming-birds we did not see at 
this time, although we afterwards found them in the interior. 
Vultures we saw only at a distance, sweeping round at a 
great height over the viUage. The Mexican Goshawk 
{Asturma plagiata), was quite abundant. Flycatchers, 



28 



A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 




finches, tanagers, and several other small birds, were quite 
abundant. Insects were more numerous in this neighbor- 
hood than in any previously visited 
These were, however, mostly ants and 
beetles. But few species of butter- 
flies were seen, and these of a small, 
yellow variety. 

As soon as night approached, 
swarms of goat-suckers made their 
appearance, wheeling about in a noise- 
less manner, in chase of night-flying 
insects. They sometimes descended 
and settled on the pathwa}^, squatting 
MEXICAN GOSHAWK. dowu ou their heels, and were then 
hard to distinguish from the surrounding soil. In the day- 
time they lay concealed in the woods, and venture forth 
only at night. They make no nest, but lay their eggs on 
the ground. 

March 4th we took our last ramble through trus delight- 
ful region. The whole of the country for a score of miles 
was covered with an almost pathless forest, and there were 
but few roads which penetrated it. One road, in particular, 
I was very fond of following. The trees were large and 
man}'- of them in bloom. This place was the resort of tan- 
agers, jays, groove-billed ani, and various species of hawks. 
Birds generally, however, were not numerous. The num- 
ber of butterflies, sporting about in this patch of woods on 
a sunny day, was so great as to give quite a character to the 
physiognomy of the place. It was impossible to walk far 
without disturbing flocks of them from the damp earth and 
pools of water left by the recent rains, where they congre- 
gated to imbibe the moisture. The most abundant were 
the sulphur-yellow and orange-colored varieties, which I 
started in swarms as I made my way along the road. 



PREPARING TORTILLAS. 29 

About 3 o'clock p. u. we hitched up the volan, and 
started on our return to Colonel Glenn's camp. Night 
overtook us while yet some miles east of Sitilpech, and we 
turned off on a side road which led to a hacienda, where 
we hoped to spend the night. The road, though smooth, 
was narrow, crooked, and dark. Occasionally a herd of 
cattle was seen, but they did not offer to molest us. Half 
a mile of this road brought us to a small, open space, in 
which was a native hut, built upon an elevation. Two or 
three dark-skinned children, with a man and woman, occu- 
pied the hut; on seeing us the man came out, and after 
hearing our wants, offered to let us have the use of an 
empty hut for the night, and also to give us a supper. 

Here I first saw the modus operandi of preparing tor- 
tillas; they were made from maize, which was first soaked 
in water for some time. When they were ready to be fried, 
they were taken from the dish in which they had been soak- 
ing, and transferred to a large flat stone, called a metate, 
which was set at an angle like a washboard. A round 
stone, like a rolling pin, was then taken, and the corn was 
reduced to dough by a half-rolling, half grinding motion; 
they were then taken in small balls and patted with the 
hands Tnto a thin cake, like our buckwheat cakes. They 
were fried on a flat, earthen dish, over a wood fire. The 
natives eat this with chile, but they have a very flat taste 
when eaten alone. 

The native woman was thin and wrinkled, with sharp 
features, and, I should judge, a sharper tongue. The man 
was equally as wrinkled, but more amiable than his wife. 
Upon inquiring for the hut, we were shown a miserably 
dilapidated concern, but 'as it was the best we could do, we 
did not complain. We slung our hammocks, had a fire 
lighted to keep off the mosquitos, and prepared to spend 
the night as comfortably as possible. We suffered terribly, 



30 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

however, from insect pests; it was quite impossible to sleep 
on account of the mosquitos; they fell upon us by myriads, 
and without much noise came straight at cur faces. To add 
to our discomfort, the place was a perfect nest of fleas, and 
other pests too numerous to mention. 

The day following we reached Sitilpech, and about 
noon of March 6th we reached Izamal, three miles from 
the camp. As we entered the town our eyes turned invol- 
untarily to an immense mound rising grandly above the 
tops of the houses. It measured seven hundred feet long 
and sixty feet high. The whole of this structure was over- 
grown with trees and small shrubs, which 'aided us greatly 
in our ascent. The top of this mound commanded a grand 
view of level plains and undulating woodlands. This 
structure, like all those of Yucatan,was a truncated pyramid, 
terraced on one side, and descending perpendicularly to the 
ground on the opposite side. A wide and elaborate stair- 
case once led to its summit, but this was now in ruins. 

Opposite this mound, at a distance of a few yards, was 
another of lesser size, but containing a gigantic head cut 
in bas-relief. It was seven feet in height, and the same in 
width. The expression of the face was stern and re- 
pulsive. 

On the north side of the plaza stood the church and 
convent of the Franciscan monks, on an . elevation. 
Two flights of stone steps led up to it, opening upon an 
area fully two hundred feet square; on three sides of this 
square was a colonnade, forming a noble promenade, over- 
looking the town and surrounding country for a great 
distance. This elevation was probably artificial, and not 
the work of the Spaniards. 

About 1 o'clock we again took up our line of march ' 
toward the camp, and arrived there three hours later, after 
suffering severely from the excessive heat. On the same 



IZAMAL. 31 

day the balance of the party arrived from Silam, they hav- 
ing ridden the whole distance in a volan in less than twelve 
hours. 



CHAPTER III. 

During the three days spent at the camp, following our 
trip to Tunkas, we thoroughly explored the neighborhood 
and added very largely to our collections. One day was so 
much like another that I will refrain from a detailed account 
of each days' episodes. 

The first thing that would strike a newcomer in the 
woods about the camp would be the apparant scarcity of 
birds; indeed, it often happened that we did not meet with 
a single bird during half a days' ramble in the most varied 
parts of the woods. Yet the country was tenanted by many 
hundred species, many of which were in reality abundant, 
and some of them conspicuous for their brilliant plumage. 
The cause of this apparent rarity was to be sought in the 
sameness of the forest which constituted their dwelling- 
place. The majority of the birds of the country were gre- 
garious, at least during the season when they were most 
readily found; the fruit-eating species were to be met with 
only when certain wild fruits were ripe, and to knov/ their 
exact localities required a great 'deal of experience. 

While hunting along the narrow path-ways through the 
forest in the neighborhood of the camp, we would pass 
several hours without seeing many birds; but now and then 
the surrounding bushes and trees appeared suddenly to 
swarm with them. There were scores of birds, all mov- 
ing about with the greatest activity — Crotophaga, wood- 
peckers, tanagers, flycatchers, and thrushes, flitting about 
the leaves and lower branches. The bustling crowd lost 
no time, but hurried along, each bird occupied on its 
account in scanning bark, leaf, or twig in search of insects. 
In a few minutes the host was gone, and the forest remained 
as silent as before. In the woods about the camp I wit- 
nessed quite frequently a curious case of protective resem- 
blance; the Road-runners {^Geococcyx affinis) when disturbed, 



CURIOUS LIZARDS. 33 

would Tun along the top of the fences, or on the ground, 
keeping their wings close to their body and dropping their 
head to a level with the rest of their body, resembling so 
closely the iguanas that on several occasions I let them go 
thinking they were that animal. 

Of the vertebrate animals we saw very little, except of 
lizards. They were sure to attract our attention by reason 
of their strange appearance, great numbers, and variety. 
The species which were seen crawling over the walls of the 
haciendas were different from those found in the forest. 
They were unpleasant looking animals, with colors assimi- 
lated to those of the stone walls and trees on which they 
were seen. A small species found near the haciendas was 
of speckled gray, or ashy color. A slight rap would cause 
the tails of these lizards to snap off, the loss being partially 
repaired by a new growth. 

Among the insects collected, the most interesting was 
the tarantula. These monstrous, heavy spiders, three or 
four inches in expanse, were found in many places about 
the camp. The different kinds had the most diversified 
habits. Some constructed dens of closely woven web 
among the tiles of thatch houses; others built similar nests 
in trees, while yet others built handsome nests in the 
ground, closing the aperture by a neatly constructed door. 
Several of the species were nocturnal in habit. 

It was a great disappointment to me that 
the mollusks were not more abundant; scarce- 
ly a living shell could be found. The cause 
of this paucity, so the Yucatecans informed 
me, lay in the dryness of the season, the 
cYLiNDEELLA "^et seasou being the most favorable for Mol- 
sPELUNccE, PEE., luscau, as well as for insect life. I found, 

VAR. DUBIA, , . , , 

piLSBEY. however, numerous specimens of the genera 
Glandina, Cyclotus, Cylindrella, and Choanopoma. 




34 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

Early on the morning of the 10th, we packed up our 
specimens and left the Colonel's camp for Merida; the 
Colonel and Mrs. Glenn accompanied us. From Merida 
we took the Ferro carril de Me7'ida e'' Calkifii for Santa Cruz, 
situated in the nortwestern part of Yucatan. Here we were 
met by three volans which conveyed us to the hacienda of 
Senor Escalente, where we expected to add very largely to 
our collections, and also to visit a famous limestone cave. 

Our nine mile ride was most interesting. The drivers 
whipped the mules into a gallop, and kept it up throughout 
the entire journey. To urge the mules he uttered the words 
" moola, moola!" at the same time clucking loudly "with 
his lips. As we approached the hacienda, cultivated fields 
of henequen appeared on either side, stretching away in the 
distance as far as the eye could reach A turn in the road 
brought us in sight of the hacienda, and with a rush we 
galloped through the open gateway into the courtyard, and 
drew up at the foot of a broad flight of steps. This was 
one of the finest estates in Yucatan, employing several 
hundred natives about the place. In addition to the haci- 
enda building there were huts, cattle-yards, and a church 
enclosed by a high stone wall. Here were native men and 
women passing to and fro through the court, each busy with 
his or her daily task. The henequen machines were busy 
preparing the henequen for shipment, and everything 
had an air of business which was quite new to us. 

The major-domo received us, Senor Escalente being 
ill, and extended to us the hospitalities of the house. In 
a short time a savory supper was prepared, to which we did 
full justice. At sunset we heard the bells of the chapel 
sounding the oracio?i, or evening prayer, and the natives 
gathered around with uncovered heads. When it was 
finished, they gave us, and each other, the salutation of 
" Buenas noches'' before retiring. This was a beautiful 



INTENSE COLD. 35 

and impressive custom, which we observed throughout our 
travels in Yucatan. The cold was so intense during the 
night that I awoke several times actually suffering from its 
effects. During the day the sun beats down upon the earth 
with intense force. The rapid radiation at night sometimes 
produces cold intense enough to cause water to freeze. 

In the morning, after a refreshing bath, we shouldered 
our guns, insect boxes, and pouches, and walked into the 
woods covering the north side of the Sierra. On our way 
we saw numbers of swallows, flycatchers, and hawks. 
Their shrill cry was often heard, with now and then the 
loud tapping of a woodpecker. We were not successful in 
shooting, and in about an hour were joined by the rest of 
the party on horseback, on their way across the Sierra to 
visit the large cave of which I spoke before. After passing 
the summit of the Sierra, we descended twenty feet or more 
to the mouth of the cave. 

This was in the form of a circular well, thirty feet in 
diameter and twenty in depth; descending this we found 
ourselves in a circular chamber, from which numerous pas- 
sages branched to right and left. At one corner was a rude 
natural opening in a great mass of limestone rock, low and 
narrow, through which rushed a powerful current of air, 
agitating the branches and leaves in the immediate vicinity. 
At the distance of a few feet the descent was precipitous, 
and we went down by a ladder about twenty feet. Here all 
light from the mouth of the well was lost; but we soon 
reached the brink of a very steep descent, to the bottom of 
which a strong body of light was thrown from a hole in the 
surface, a perpendicular depth, as we afterward learned, of 
one hundred and ten feet. As we stood on the brink of 
this precipitous path, under the immense shelving mass of 
rock, seeming darker from the stream of light thrown down 
the hole, gigantic stalactites and larger blocks of stone as- 



36 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

sumed all manner of fantastic shapes, and seemed like thel 
bodies of monstrous animals. From this passage others 
branched off to right and left. Beyond the circular open- 
ing we passed into a large vaulted chamber of stone, 
with a high roof supported by enormous stalactitic pillars. 
Farther on we climbed up a high, broken piece of rock, and 
descended again by a low, narrow opening, through which 
we were obliged to crawl, and which, from its closeness, 
and the heat and labor of crawling through it, made us pant 
with exhaustion. This brought us to a rugged, perpen- 
dicular hole, three or four feet in diameter, with steps barely 
large enough for a foothold, worn in the rock. The pass- 
age here descended rapidly, and we were again obliged to 
stoop to avoid knocking our heads against the roof of the 
passage. It then enlarged into a rather spacious cavern, 
which was filled with gigantic stalactitic columns. Here 
our journey in this direction ended. Several passageways 
led from this chamber, but they had not been explored, and 
the guides would not attempt their exploration. What lay 
beyond no one knew. Leaving this chamber we returned 
to the circular well near the mouth of the cave, and explored 
a long passage leading in a northerly direction. This was 
found to descend rapidly for three or four hundred feet, and 
then to end in a shelving point. The greatest depth of this 
cave was 180 feet, and the longest passage explored by us 
one eighth of a mile. The whole range of hills was com- 
posed of transition, or mountain limestone, and was said 
to contain many such caves as the one we had just visited. 
Swallows [Stelgidopte7-yx serripennis) were seen flying about 
the outer chamber of the cave in great numbers, and seemed 
to be constructing nests on the rugged face of the walls. 
The view from the summit of the Sierra was very picturesque; 
away to the south could be seen two parallel ranges of 
mountains, the intervening spaces being well wooded. To 



SANTA CRUZ. 37 

the north lay the buildings composing the hacienda, con- 
cealed among a grove of palms and ceiba trees. 

In the afternoon we visited several newly constructed 
wells for geological information. On the road we saw a 
number of huge mounds, but as our time was limited we did 
not stop to examine them. In the evening, at sunset, the 
scene was lovely. The groups of tall palms, the large ceiba 
trees relieved against the golden sky, the native huts sur- 
rounded with trees, and the background of dense forest, all 
softened by the mellowed light of the magical half-hour 
after sunset, form.ed a picture indescribably beautiful. 

On the 12th we returned to Merida, and from thence 
took the Merida and Peto railroad for Ticul. On our way to 
Merida from Santa Cruz, the railroad officials allowed us the 
unusual privilege of having the train stopped wherever we 
wished to study a good cut. And all this for science! On 
our way to Ticul we were delayed several hours by a de- 
railed tender. Arriving at Ticul we were received by Senor 
Fajada, and given rooms in his mercantile house for our 
use during our stay. We took our meals at a cai6 near the 
plaza. 

The town of Ticul was worthy the visit of any of our 
European travellers. The first time I looked upon it from 
the roof of the convent, it struck me as the perfect picture 
of stillness and repose. The plaza was overgrown with 
grass; a few mules were pasturing upon it, and now and 
then a single horseman crossed it. The roof of the convent 
was on a level with, or above, the tops of the houses, and 
the view was of a great plain, with houses of one story, flat 
roofs, high garden walls, above which orange, lemon, and 
plantain trees were growing, and the only noise was the 
singing of the birds. All business was done early in the 
morning or toward evening, and through the rest of the day, 
during the heat, the inhabitants were within doors, and it 
might almost have passed for a deserted town. 



33 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

Like all Mexican towns, it was laid out with its plaza 
and streets running at right angles, and was distinguished 
among the towns of Yucatan for its stone houses. These, 
were on the plaza and streets adjoining; outside these, and 
extending more than a mile each way, were the huts of the 
natives. These huts were generally plastered, enclosed by 
stone fences, and overgrown and concealed by weeds. The 
population was said to be about ten thousand, of which 
about a thousand were white people, and the rest natives. 

The church and convent occupied the whole of one side 
of the plaza. Both were built by the Franciscan monks, 
and they were among the grandest of those buildings with 
which that wonderful order marked its entrance into the 
country. They stood on a stone platform about four feet 
high and several hundred feet in front. The church was 
large and sombre, and adorned with rude monuments and 
figures calculated to inspire the ignorant natives with awe. 
The convent was connected with the church by a spacious 
corridor, now much in ruins. It was a large structure built 
of stone, with massive walls, and four hundred feet in length. 
The entrance was under a wide portico, with stone pillars, 
from which ascended a broad flight of steps to a spacious 
corridor twenty feet wide. This corridor ran through the 
whole length of the building, with a stone pavement, and 
was lighted from the roof which had fallen in. Everything 
about the old convent bespoke ruin and decay. 



CHAPTER IV. 

On the morning following our arrival in Ticul, Senor 
Fajada provided three volans. with drivers, to convey us to 
the ruins of Uxmal. We left Ticul about 7 o'clock, passing 
through the southern portion of the town, which was com- 
posed of native huts. As we sped along, the inhabitants 
came out to look at us. The town was soon left behind, 
and we entered the scrubbily-wooded portion of the coun- 
try. Our road ran along the base of the Sierra for several 
leagues, but finally turned north and crossed the range of 
hills at an elevation of about two hundred and twenty-five 
feet. We passed several haciendas, at one of which we 
stopped for water. Here we shot our first humming-birds 
[Lampornis Prevosti). Flycatchers and grackles were very 
common, and several small warblers were seen, but we had 
not time enough to procure them. 

The ascent of the Sierra was steep, broken, and stony; 
the whole range was a mass of limestone rock, with a few 
stunted trees, not numerous enough to afford shade, and 
white under the reflection of the sun. In three-quarters of 
an hour we reached the top. Looking back, our last view 
of the plain presented a long stretch of scantily-wooded, 
level country, and high above everything else a group of 
cocoa-palms near a large hacienda. The only people we 
met was a hunting party of natives, who had shot a young 
doe. About 11 o'clock we reached the Hacienda of Uxmal 
(pronounced Ush-mahl). 

This hacienda stood in the midst of the plain, with its 
cattle-yard, tanks, and cieba trees. Stopping but a few 
minutes, to procure a guide for the ruins, we continued on 
our journey, and in fifteen minutes, emerging from the 



40 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

woods, came out upon a field in which stood a large 
mound surmounted by a ruined building — the House of the 
Dwarf, or Casa del Adivino. The sides of this lofty struc- 
ture were covered with high grass, bushes, and small trees^ 
twenty or more feet high. The mound fronted a court- 
yard measuring one hundred and thirty feet by eighty-five. 
The mound itself measured two hundred and thirty-five 
feet in length, and one hundred and fifty-five in width. It 
was about eighty-eight feet in height, and one hundred feet 
to the top of the building on its summit. It was not a true 




HOUSE OF THE DWAEP. 



pyramid in form, for its ends were rounded. It was encased 
in stone, and appeared to rise solid from the plain. At a 
height of sixty feet was a projecting platform, on which 
stood a building loaded with ornaments, which we after- 
wards found were more rich and varied than those of any 
other building in the ruins. A great doorway opened upon 
the platform; inside this aperture were two chambers; the 
outer one fifteen feet wide, seven feet deep, and nineteert 
feet high, and the inner one twelve feet wide, four feet deep, 
and eleven feet high. Both were plain, without ornament 
of any kind. 

The steps leading to the building were all in ruins, 
and it was dangerous to ascend them. The crown- 



RUINED STATE OF BUILDINGS. 41 

ing structure of this mound was a long and narrow build- 
ing, measuring fully seventy feet in length by twelve in 
depth. The front was much ruined, but enough was intact 
to show that it must have been elaborately ornamented. 
The interior was divided into three apartments of nearly 
equal size. What was very curious was the fact that none 
of these apartments had any communication with each 
other. Two doors opened to the east and one to the west. 
On the eastern front there was a grand stair-case over a 
hundred feet high, half again as wide, and containing some 
eighty or ninety steps, now very much in ruins. This 
mound, and the building on its summit, was used by the 
ancient Mayas as aTeocalH,or temple, and upon it they 
offered up th-eir human sacrifices. The view from this 
height was grand, taking in the whole field of ruins. 

Looking from the House of the Dwarf, the first build- 
ing to catch the eye was the Casa del Gobcrnador, or House 
of the Governor, built upon several terraces. This was 
the largest building among the ruins, and measured three 
hundred and twenty feet in length. A portion of the right- 
hand side of the face of the building had fallen, and now 
lay in a mass of ruins. The left-hand side was more per- 
fect, and we could see that the building must have been 
elaborately ornamented, and must, indeed, have been a 
grand sight when entire. The building was constructed 
entirely of stone; up to the cornice, which ran entirely 
around, the fagade presented a solid mass of ornamenta- 
tion. One ornament which was very conspicuous, and 
which attracted our eye at oiice, was over the center door- 
way, and while very much in ruins, yet enough of it was 
left for us to make out its general character. It represented 
a figure seated upon a throne, which must have been sup- 
ported by an ornament of some kind, but which had now 
fallen. The head-dress was lofty, and from it proceeded 



42 



A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



plumes which fell symmetrically on each side, and touched 
the ornament on which the feet of the figure rested. 

Another ornament which was seen about the ruins 
more frequently than any other, consisted of a stone pro- 
jecting from the wall one foot and seven inches, and in the 




EOOII IN THE HOUSE OF THE GOVEKNOK. 

shape of a coiled elephant's trunk. This projecting stone 
was seen in many places about the building, and especially 
on the corners. It was always associated with, and 
formed part of another, consisting of scroll-work and 
squares, and was probably intended to convey some idea, 
either historical or mythical, to the people wh3 inhabited 
this city. In fact, everything about these ornaments 
seemed to point to the fact that they were hieroglyphics, 
intended to represent the history of these strange people. 

The rear elevation of this building was a solid wall, 
without doorways or openings of any kind. The two ends 



ELABORATE SCULPTURE. 43 

were thirty-nine feet deep, and had each a single doorway. 
The sculptured ornaments were very much simpler on the 
ends and rear than those in front. The roof was flat and 
was originally cemented, but the cement had become broken, 
and the whole was now covered with a mass of vegetation. 
There weie eleven doorways in front and one at each end. 
The doors were all gone, and the wooden lintels had rotted 
away and fallen. In front and in the center were grand 
flights of steps ascending the three terraces, but they were 
in a ruinous condition. 

The interior was divided longitudinally by a wall into 
two corridors, and these again, by cross partitions, into ob- 
long rooms. These rooms communicated with the exterior 
by doorways, the inner one being exactly opposite the 
outer one. The floor was of cement, in many places broken, 
and covered all over with fallen d(^bris from the ceiling and 
walls. 

The terraces upon which stood the Casa del Gohernadcn- 
were very interesting, and a description of the building 
would not be complete without a description also of these 
terraces. The lowest was three feet high, fifteen feet 
broad (it formed part of a shelving mound), and five hun- 
dred and seventy-five feet long; the second was twenty feet 
high, two hundred and fifty feet wide, and five hundred and 
forty-five feet in length; the third was nineteen feet high, 
thirty feet broad, and three hundred and sixty feet long. 
The second terrace was still in a good state of preservation, 
but the others were more or less in ruins. The whole was 
covered with a rank growth of bushes, weeds, and small trees, 
so we were not able to well make out all the characters. 

To the left of the House of the Governor rose a gigantic 
mound, sixty-five feet in height, and three hundred at the 
base. Its sides were covered with a rank growth of vege- 
tation, which helped not a little in its ascent. On the top 



44 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

was a great platform of solid stone, seventy-five feet square; 
fifteen feet from the top was a narrow terrace running 
around on the four sides. The corners once bore sculptured 
ornaments, but the remains were now all that was visible. 
In one side of the mound, at the narrow terrace before 
spoken of, was a small chamber about four feet square, but 
aside from this not a hole was to be seen. From the sum- 
mit a grand view could be had, showing a well wooded 
plain in the distance, and the ruined city lying at its base. 

In a line directly north of this mound was another large 
building — the Casa de las Monjas, or House of the Nuns. 
This building was quadrangular, with a courtyard in the 
center. It stood on the higher of three terraces; it was two 
hundred and seventy- nine feet long, and above the cornice, 
from one end to the other, was ornamented with sculpture. 
In the center was a gateway ten feet wide, leading to the 
courtyard. On each side of this gateway were four door- 
ways, opening to apartments twenty-four feet wide and 
seventeen feet high; these rooms had no communication with 
each oiher. The building that formed the right or eastern 
side of the quadrangle was one hundred and fifty-eight feet 
long; that on the left was one hundred and seventy-three 
feet long, and the range of buildings opposite, or at the end 
of the quadrangle, measured two hundred and sixty-four 
feet. These three ranges of buildings had no doorways on 
the outside, but the interior of each was a blank wall, and 
above the cornice all were ornamented with rich sculpture. 
The courtyard upon which these four buildings faced was 
two hundred and fourteen feet wide, and two hundred and 
fifty-eight feet deep. The first building spoken of contained 
sixteen rooms, in two rows of eight, the outside not opening 
upon the courtyard. The face of this building was covered 
with the most elaborately sculptured ornaments, most con- 
spicuous among which were two colossal serpents entwined. 



HOUSE OF THE NUNS. 



45 



which encompassed nearly all the other ornaments. The 
other two buildings were about the same size, and almost 
equally as rich in ornamentation. Fronting the entrance 
gate was a lofty building, two hundred and sixty-four feet 
long, standing on a terrace twenty feet high. It was ascended 
by a grand staircase ninety-five feet wide, flanked on each 
side by a building with sculptured front, and having three 
doorways, each leading to an apartment. 

The height of this building to 
the upper cornice was twenty-five 
feet. It had thirteen doorways, over 
each of which rose a perpendicular 
wall ten feet wide and seventeen feet 
high, above the cornice. The stair- 
case was very much in ruins, as in- 
deed were all the buildings. In one 
of the wings of this building was seen 
the curious Maya arch, built without 
a keystone. ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ 

Near the Casa de las Monjos was another building, 
the Casa de las Torlugas, or House of the Turtles, but it 
was in such a state of ruin that a description was impossible. 
Away to the southwest lay the range of ruined walls known 
as the Casa de Palomos, or House of the Pigeons. It 
was two hundred and forty feet long; the front was very 
much in ruins, and the apartments filled with the fallen 
debris. On the roof, running longitudinally along its center, 
was a range of structures built in pyramidal form, re- 
sembling some of the old Dutch houses. These were 
originally nine in number, built of stone, about three feet 
thick, and had small oblong openings through them. It 
was from these holes, resembling pigeon houses, that the 
building derived its name. The names of all the buildings 
were misnomers, given by the Spanish residents and not by 



v"iil"'"ri,'.i"-"i,<- 








1 


1 ^ _Lfc 


Y 





46 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

the natives. This building was very much in ruins, but 
enough remained to show that it once contained a large 
courtyard in its center. Several other ruined buildings lay 
buried among the underbrush, but they were in such a fallen 
condition that it was useless to make a study of them. 

Such was Uxmal,one of the most interesting of the ruins 
of Central America. Ruin and decay have been steadily 
at work, and before many years have passed, this famous 
relic of the ancient Mayas will be a thing of the past. Over 
all the buildings a rank vegetation is struggling for the 
mastery, and the end is inevitable. Uxmal is probably 
better known to the general public than any other of the 
Yucatan ruins, on account of the published writings of 
Stevens, LePlongeon, Charnay, Norman, Waldeck, and 
others. It was with many regrets that we entered our 
volans, and saw the ruined city disappear from our view. 

Animal life was remarkably rare about the ruins. A 
few bats, insects, dead mollusks, and occasionally a fly- 
catcher, were all we saw. It is quite possible that during 
the rainy season, life is much more abundant. 

Lunch was taken at the Hacienda of Uxmal. Here I 
saw many sculptured figures which had been taken from the 
ruins. Among others was a large sculptured ornament, 
representing a double headed, lynx, with the bodies joined 
together in the middle. It was carved from one piece of 
stone, and must have been a tremendous undertaking. The 
sculpture, however, was rude and uncouth, as were all the 
ornaments at Uxmal. 

At four o'clock we again entered our volans and started 
for Ticul, arriving there late in the evening. Our ride over 
the Sierra was something of an experience, for we went gal- 
loping down the steep slopes, the volan swaying from side 
to side in a way most alarming to weak nerves. A very 
noticeable feature of Yucatan evenings was the silence which 



HACIENDA OF TABI. 47 

seemed to reign supreme over the woods. Hardly a sound 
could be heard, save the clatter of the volan, the voice of 
the driver as he urged the mules, or the occasional cry of 
some vv'ild animal. 

On the following morning we again set forth, this time 
to visit the Hacienda of Tabi, owned by Senor Fajada, and 
also to visit a large cave and the ruins of Labna. Our road 
was very rough and rocky, and bordered by dense woods. 
At eleven o'clock we came to the clearing in which was sit- 
uated the Hacienda of Tabi. It was a noble building of 
good proportions, built of stone, and of two stories. The 
cattle-yard was large, shaded by fine ramon trees (a species 
of tropical oak), with here and there a towering cocoa-palm, 
and filled by a large herd of cattle. I have already given 
the reader some idea of a hacienda in Yucatan, with its 
cattle-yards, its great tanks of water, and other accessories. 
All these were upon a large scale, equal to any we had seen. 
Besides the hacienda building, native huts, etc. , there was 
a rum distillery and sugar refinery, from both of which Sefior 
Fajada derived an immense revenue For the safety of the 
hacienda against the marauding natives of the interior, there 
was a company of soldiers stationed here. About the cocoa- 
palms in the cattle-yard large flocks of grackles were flying; 
these birds seemed always to congregate about haciendas, 
but were never found in the forests. In one portion of the 
cattle-yard I discovered a small land snail which 
proved to be a new species (^Oryzosoma Tabiensis, 
Filsbry). At dinner I tasted a dish of which I 
had heard much, but until this time had not 
tasted — cuttle-fish. It was a small species of 
Octopus found abundantly on the coast, and obyzosoma. 

, , , . 1 1-1 1 • 1 TABIENSIS, 

was very palatable, tasting much like chicken. pilsbby. 
Early in the afternoon we started for the Cave of Lol- 
tun, situated a league from the hacienda. The road for the 




48 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

distance of tvvo miles was level, and bordered fields of hene- 
quen; it then ascended at a moderate angle until we reached 
kn abrupt openiug, circular in outline, fully sixt}' feet in cir- 
cumference, seeming a magnificent entrance to a great tem- 
ple for the worsh p of the god of nature. We first des- 
cended by a succession of short ladders laid against the face 
of the wall of the cavern, and entered a large, vaulted cavern 
about sixty feet in height, lighted from the mouth. In this 
chamber were many weird and gigantic stalactites incrusted 
with the disintegrated earth, which gave them a brownish 
tinge. From here we entered a second chamber about twenty 
feet below, in which was a mcst beautiful display of stalactitic 
growth; here were gigantic columns of pure, white calcite, 
reaching from the floor to the roof above. We had been 
told of numerous figures and objects of dom.estic utensils 
used by the ancient inhabitants, which were to be found in 
this cave, but as was most usually the case we were doomed 
to disappointment, for the so called figures were nothing 
more than the huge stalactitic columns before us. 

From this chamber we journeyed on by a downward, 
shelving path, and entered another of surpassing weirdness; 
it was fully three hundred feet in diameter, and lighted from 
a circular hole in the roof, eighty feet above, through which 
streamed the sunlight. At one end of this large chamber 
was a smaller one, about as large as a good sized room. 
Against the wall of this apartment was a most delicious 
fountain of clear, cold water, bubbling up from a hollow stal- 
agmite. When emptied of its contents this fountain slowly 
filled again, but did not run over. The exact temperature 
we were, unfortunately, not able to determine. 

From this small chamber several dark passages 
branched to right and left, but they had not been explored, 
and the guides would not enter them. Recrossing the 
large cavern we entered a dark passage, fifty feet in height, 



CAVE OF BOLONCHEN. 49 

which led to a huge cavern strewn with broken rocks which 
had fallen from the roof above. For the space of twenty 
minutes we clambered over these boulders, and finally 
reached a level path in a passage some fifteen or twenty feet 
high and twenty-five in width. The floor was broken into 
ripple-marks, like those on a sea-shore, and looked as though 
water had flowed over it at some distant day. This path was 
follov/ed for some distance, when it branched in several di- 
rections; one branch led straight ahead and was said to lead 
to a small village some six miles away, and was used by the 
ancient Mayas as a place of retreat when hard pressed by 
their enemies. The other passages led through a laby- 
rinth of stalactitic columns, and we did not explore them. As 
evening was approaching, we returned to the hacienda. 

This cave was but one of many such which are scattered 
throughout Yucatan. The whole surface of the country is 
flat and without a water course of any kind, so that the in- 
habitants are compelled to depend upon the water obtained 
in cenotes, caves, and tanks for their supply. There are 
numerous streams throughout the country in the depths of 
these caves; one notable instance is the Cave of Bolonchen, 
in which, at the depth of some four hundred feet, a stream 
of good water is found. This is probably true of all the 
caves, although some have not yet been explored sufficiently 
to determine whether all are thus supplied or not. As the 
country is composed of transition limestone it is natural that 
numerous caves should abound, and that the water should 
seek its lowest level in the softest rock. 




CHAPTER Y. 

The next morning we set out for the ruins of Labna. 
Our road lay southeast, among the hills, and was very 
picturesque. A damp fog hung over everything, and the 
air was quite cold. It was in fact a most dismal day. 

At the distance of two 
leagues we reached a field of 
ruins hidden in the dense 
forest. The first building we 
saw was the most curious and 
extraordinary structure we 
had yet seen, surmounting a 
A voLAN cocHE. pyramidal mound forty-five 

feet high. The steps had fallen, and trees and Maguey plants 
were growing out of the place where they had stood. A nar- 
row platform formed the top of the mound. The building 
faced the south, and when entire measured forty-three feet 
in front and twenty feet in width. It had three doorways, of 
which one, together with ten feet of the whole structure, 
had fallen, and now lay a mass of ruins. The center door- 
way opened into two chambers, each twenty feet long and 
six feet wide. 

Above the cornice of the building rose a gigantic per- 
pendicular wall thirty feet high, which had once been or- 
namented from one side to the other with colossal figures, 
now broken and in fragments, but still presenting a curious 
appearance. Along the top, standing out on the wall, was 
a row of deaths' heads; underneath were two lines ot 
human figures in alto relievo. Over the center doorway 
was a colossal seated figure, of which only detached portions 
now remained. The wall was tottering and ready to fall, and 



ARCHED GATEWAY. 



51 



a crack had already separated the remaining portion; it 
is only a question of a few years when the whole of this 
wonderful building will be a mere shapeless mound. 

At the distance of a few hundred feet from this 
structure was an arched gateway, remarkably beautiful in 
its proportions and grace^ of ornament. On the right, run 
ning off at an angle of thirty-five degrees, was a long build- 
ing much in ruins. On the left it formed an angle with an- 
other building. The gateway was ten feet wide, and fifteen 
feet high, passing through which we entered a spacious 




EUINED BUILDING. 

courtyard overgrown with weeds and small trees. The 
doors of the apartments on both sides of the gateway, each 
twelve feet by eight, opened upon this area. Above the 
cornice, the face of the building was rich in sculpture. The 
buildings around the courtyard formed a great irregular pile, 
measuring in all two hundred feet in length. 

Northeast from the mound on which stood the great 
wall, and about one hundred and sixty yards distant, was a 
large building, erected on a terrace, and hidden among the 
trees growing upon it, with its front much ruined. Still 
further in the same direction was another large building of 
really magnificent proportions. It stood on a large terrace, 
four hundred feet long and one hundred and fifty feet deep. 
The whole terrace was covered with buildings. The front 
of the building measured two hundred and eighty feet in 



52 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

length. It consisted of three distinct parts, differing very 
much in style. The whole long fagade was ornamented 
with sculptured stone, of good workmanship. On the left 
end of the principal building, in the angle of the corner, 
was the most curious and elaborate ornament we had as yet 
seen. It represented the open jaws of an alligator, enclos- 
ing a human head. 

In the platform in front of the buildings were several 
circular holes leading to subterranean chambers, dome- 
shaped, eleven feet long, seven wide and ten high, to the 
center of the arch. These chambers were probably used as 
storehouses for maize. As we observed at Uxmal, the 
iacja.de below the cornice was of plain stone without orna- 
mentation of any kind, while above it was covered with 
sculptured stones. There were about twenty doors facing 
the front, and the rear elevation was perfectly blank. 
Above this building, and built upon its roof, was a second, 
much smaller, with an elaborately sculptured facade. This 
building was divided into several rooms. The doors here 
had an addition, not before observed in any building in 
Uxmal; this was two pillars of stone dividing the doorway 
into three apertures. This character was not observed in the 
buildings below. The roof was much fallen and overgrown 
with large and small trees, which were running their roots 
into the crevices among the stones, and slowly but surely 
causing the rain of these interesting relics of by-gone days. 

In the interest of our work, I had not discovered that 
thousands of garrapatas were crawling over me. These 
insects are the scourge of Yucatan, and altogether were a 
more constant source of annoyance and suffering than any we 
encountered in the country. These, in color, size, and num- 
bers, were like grains of sand, and dispersed themselves all 
over my body, getting into the seams of my clothes, and 
burying themselves in my flesh. Their habit was to attach 



BIRDS SEEN. 53 

themselves to the skin by plunging their proboscis into it, 
and thus suck the blood until their flat bodies were dis- 
tended into a globular form. 

It was very curious that so few birds were seen about 
the ruins. Among those observed were the Guatemalan 
Woodpecker, Uxmal Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Hum- 
mingbird, Mexican Kingbird, and a single specimen, which 
we obtained, of Gray's Thrush. Glandma Cylindraca', one of 
the most abundant moUusks of Yucatan, was found here in 
considerable numbers. Another abundant species was the 
Chondropoma Largillicrti, a beautiful yellowish-white shell 
with rows of brown spots. Bulimulus tropicalis and Cyclotus 
jDysoni, a beautiful ribbed species, and a Helicina, were the 
common forms seen. One new variety of Cylindrella was 
found ((7. speluncQi, var. dubid). A single snake {^Dryophis 
fulgidus) was seen and captured. A rabbit was also seen, 
but not obtained. Insects were not seen (excepting the 
troublesome garrapatas). 

It was with much regret that we left the region without 
visiting the other ruined cities of the country — Chichen Itza, 
Xampon, Kabah, Chunhuhu, etc. — and comparing their arch- 
itecture with that of Uxmal and Labna. The predominating 
character, however, was that they were all built upon arti- 
ficial pyramids or terraces. A truncated pyramid supported 
a building of greater or lesser dimensions. The walls were 
very thick, many of them faced on the interior with carved 
stones, and presenting richly sculptured fagades, sculptured 
in bas-relief. Human heads, figures of men and animals, 
and hieroglyphics consisting of squares, scrolls, and other 
geometric figures, constituted the principal ornamentation. 
Although these ruins have been studied by the most famous 
archaeologists of the present century, yet little is known 
concerning their history. A short stop was made at the 
Hacienda of Tabi, and then we started for Ticul, arriving 
there shortly after dark. 



54 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

During our two days sojourn in Ticul, we added 
largely to our collections. Here I was, unfortunately, laid 
up with fever and not able to do much collecting. While 
preparing insects or skinning birds in the house, the window 
which opened into the courtyard was generally filled with 
men and boys, who would wait for hours, watching our 
operations with the most untiring curiosity. They would 
whisper among themselves, and as we dexterously removed 
a skin, they would give exclamations of wonder. And then 
they would guess as to what we were going to do with them; 
some thought they were to show, and others that we used 
them as medicine. 

Our stay in Ticul was marred by my sickness, having 
been seized the second day with an attack of dysentery, 
which confined me to my hammock for some time. The 
balance of the party, however, did good work, and added 
largely to our collections. During my indisposition I took 
my meals, when strong enough, in a caf^ near the plaza. 
Nothing but Spanish was spoken, of course, and at every 
meal the following dialogue took place. It is a fair sample 
of the restaurant conversation between native and foreigner: 
Tiene Vd. pan? Have you bread. 

Si, Seftor. Yes, sir. 

Y huevos fretos? And fried eggs? 
Si, Scnor. Yes, sir, 

Y cafe? And coffee? 
Si, Sen or. Yes, sir. 

Y came frio? And cold meat? 
Si, Senor. Yes, sir. 

Traigame Vd. todo. Bring me all. 

Si, Senor. Yes, sir. 

Our explorations in this direction were productive of 
good results, so far as the avifauna was concerned. The 
Mexican Ground Dove was very common about the 



AQRIOULTUBE IN YUCATAN, 55 

towns and haciendas. The Aztec Paroquet was seen 
in small flocks about the mountains near TicuL The 
Groove-billed Ani, or Crotophaga, was everywhere abund- 
ant. After dark, on the roads, the Parauque was seen 
frequently. The little Cinnamon Humming-bird was 
quite common in the suburbs of Ticul. The Least Fly- 
catcher, Yellow-bellied Green Jay, and Great-tailed Grackle 
were quite common. The Yucatan Cardinal was one of the 
most beautiful and conspicuous birds. At Ticul it was com- 
monly seen about the slopes of the mountains. Among the 
smaller birds, the following were seen and many captured: 
White-eyed Vireo, Parula Warbler, Sycamore Warbler, 
Black-throated Green Warbler, Yucatan Mockingbird, and 
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. Many of these small birds were 
seen feeding on the berries of the Palmetto trees. 

Gray's Thrush {Merula grayi) was seen about Ticul, 
but none captured at that place. One was shot by Mr. 
Stone at Labna. Our visit occurred during the dry season, 
and was not the best for ornithological purposes. Later in 
the season, we were told, occurs a migration of birds north- 
ward, and at that time they are much more numerous, both 
in species and individuals. 

On the 18th we left Ticul for Merida. The road be- 
tween Ticul and Merida bordered large tracts of ground, in 
which henequen and corn were being cultivated. The 
system of agriculture in Yucatan is rather primative. Be- 
sides hemp and sugar, the principal products of the country 
are corn, beans, and calabazas, like our pumpkins and 
squashes, camotes, like our potatoes, and chile or pepper, 
of which last an enormous quantity is consumed, both by 
native and Spaniard. Indian corn, however, is the great 
staple, and the cultivation of this probably differs but little 
from the system followed by the natives before the conquest. 
In the dry season, generally in the months of January and 



56 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

February, a place is selected in the woods, from which the 
trees are cut down and burned. In May or June the corn is 
planted. This is done by making little holes in the ground 
with a pointed stick, putting in a few grains of corn and 
covering them over. Once in the ground, it is left to take 
care of itself The corn has a fair start with the weeds, and 
thus keep pace together. The hoe and plough are here un- 
known; indeed, the plough could be of but little use here on 
account of the stony nature of the ground; the machete, a 
long, hatchet-like knife, is the only instrument employed. 

While in Merida we called upon the American Consul, 
Mr. Thompson, who is a most enthusiastic archaeologist. 
He had himself discovered upwards of forty ruined cities, 
before unknown. He had accumulated quite a collection of 
hatchets, vases, birds, and other relics found about the ruins. 
What was of the greatest interest to me was his superb col- 
lection of , photographs, numbering many hundred, of all the 
large ruins.* From him we learned that during the wet 
season, animal life is very abundant, and many species of 
birds are found which do not live here in the dry season. 

At three o'clock in the afternoon we left Merida for 
Progreso, there to spend a few days before leaving the 
country for Veracruz. Col. Glenn and his wife left us at 
Merida, to return to the construction camp. During the 
evening, we all enjoyed a much needed bath in the waters of 
the Gulf. 

The next four days we spent in collecting, and as bird- 
life was very abundant, we added considerably to our already 
full collections. Back of the town was a broad lagoon in- 
habited by many species of aquatic birds. Flocks of gulls 
were seen flying overhead, uttering their well-known cry, and 
herons of several species wading about the swampy portion. 
The land bordering the Gulf was sandy and covered with a 

*NoTE.— The ruins of Yucatan in front of the Anthropological Building of 
the World's Columbian Exposition, were the work of this gentleman. 



MARINE ANIMALS. 57 

growth of low, thorny bushes, interspersed with tall cocoa- 
palms. In this scrubby portion we shot a number of very 
interesting specimens. The little Cactus Wren was very 
abundant, constantly on the move among the bushes, 
and very difficult to shoot. We frequently saw the Man-o- 
War Bird flying several hundred yards off shore, but 
although we fired at them constantly, we were not able to 
shoot one. In the mangroves bordering the lagoon we found 
numerous small birds, among them a number of flycatchers. 
These birds were the most abundant in Yucatan, both in 
species and individuals. About the edges of the mangroves 
the White-rumped Swallow, Great Blue Heron, Killdeer 
Plover, White Egret, and Louisiana Heron were quite 
abundant; the Blue-winged Teal was often seen, but not in 
any numbers. The Kingbird was not uncommon. Of this 
bird (Tyrannus melaricholicus) we obtained three specimens. 
The same species (apparently) was seen in the interior, al- 
though but one specimen was shot in the latter region, and 
that differed in some respects from the Progreso specimens. 
The Progreso specimens are much lighter beneath and con- 
tain much less red in the crest, than in the inland bird. 

We spent most of our afternoons and evenings in wan- 
dering up and down the beach, picking up the specimens 
which had been thrown up by the last tide. 

During our stay, I observed the habits of many of the 
common marine animals. Among others, a large sea-slug 
{Aplysia) was very common. This mollusk is about five 
inches long; of a dirty yellowish color, veined with purple. 
It feeds on the delicate sea-weeds which grow among the 
stones in shallow water. When disturbed, this slug emits 
a fine purplish-red fluid, which stains the water for some 
distance. These harmless creatures were once supposed 
to be poisonous, on account of this purple fluid. 

In many places the beach was fairly heaped with dead 



58 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

shells, while in others it was nearly clean, being one vast 
extent of smooth, glistening sand. I enumerated about 
fifty species, mostly confined to the class Gastropoda. The 
Pelecypods were few in species, but numerous in individuals, 
more so in fact than the Gastropods. Of the predominat- 
ing genera I noted the following: Fulgur, Crepidula, 
Columbella, Fasciolnria, Strombiis, Olivella, Venus, Area, 
Pinna, and Ostrea. Venus cance/laia was very common 
and of extreme interest, as it is found fossil throughout the 
interior. The little Olivella mutica was as common as on 
the first day we hunted for it, four weeks ago. By the side 
of an old, wrecked hull of a schooner, I found a heap of 
shells in which I reaped my greatest harvest. Inside the 
old schooner I found a colony of Melampas {M. coffeus), 
from which I collected a dozen or more specimens. 

This abundance of material indicated a rich zoological 
province off the Yucatan banks, and this indication has been 
proven correct by the dredgings of the United States Fish, 
Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer "Blake" in the last 
fifteen years. 

On the afternoon of the 22d, we left Progreso and em- 
barked on the City of Alexandria, which was to sail next 
day for Veracruz. A word in relation to the derivation of 
the word Yucatan, before we leave the country. It is sup- 
posed by some to have been derived from the plant known 
zs Yuca, and thale, the heap of earth in which this plant 
grows; the most general belief is that it is derived from cer- 
tain words spoken by the natives in answer to the question: 
"What is the name of this country?" and the answer, "I 
do not understand your words," which expression, in the 
language of the natives, has some resemblance to the pro- 
nounciation of the word Yucatan. The natives have never 
recognized the name, however, and to this day, among 
themselves, they speak of their country only under the an- 



YUCATAN CIVILIZATION. 59 

cient name of Maya, and call themselves a Macegual in- 
stead of a Yucateco. 

Before leaving Yucatan, a few words in regard to its 
civilization may not be deemed inappropriate. The popu- 
lation numbers about 500,000, and is mostly native. Be- 
sides its churches, convents, and public buildings, it has 
thirteen newspapers, several electric light plants, telephone 
exchange, street cars, and six lines of railway, viz: two 
lines from Merida to Progreso, one narrow and the other 
wide guage; a line from Merida to Ticul, one from Merida 
to Peto, one from Merida to Calkini, and one from Merida 
to Sotuta. There are also in the state eight cities, fifteen 
towns, one hundred and fifty villages, three hundred and 
fifty haciendas, and over one hundred ruined cities, besides 
numerous abandoned settlements. 

Late on the afternoon of the 23rd, we left Progreso for 
Veracruz. Our trip across the Gulf was without any no- 
table event. During the evenings, which we spent on deck, 
we were interested in studying the phosphorescence which 
could be plainly seen as the vessel sped along. This was 
caused by myriads of little animals, whose bodies gave off 
the silvery hght. Chief among these animals were the 
minute creatures called by naturalists Noctiluca, ani- 
mals belonging to the Sub-Kingdom Protozoa. Other 
animals, such as larval mollusks, Acalephs, and some fishes, 
contributed toward this light. It was sometimes so intense 
as to make the light of the stars seem dim in comparison. 
On the 24th we reached Frontera, and were compelled to 
wait all day for the little steamer, which brings off passen- 
gers and freight from the town. Leaving Frontera we headed 
toward Veracruz, expecting to reach there on the 25th. 

My evenings were all spent on deck enjoying the fresh 
and invigorating sea air, and in silent contemplation of 
nature. The phosphorescent water could be plainly seen 



^0 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

at the prow of the steamer, and ran away from her bows 
like molten fire. 



CTLINDEELLA, 



CHAPTER YL 

Early on the morning of the 26th we sighted the snow- 
capped peak of Orizaba, rising above the clouds. It was a 
grand sight; the sun was shinning brightly, and the clouds 
about the peak were golden-tinted. It was not a grand 
sight that met our gaze, as, a few hours later, we sighted 
the City of Veracruz. A half mile or so of buildings, com- 
pact and solid, with blackened domes and steeples; yellow 
for the most part, scarlet, pink, green, and blue, in patches; 
a stone landing-quay, and a series of iron cranes projecting 
from it. To the left was a reddish fort. There were no 
suburbs, only long, dreary stretches of sand. Very far 
down on the sand, with the sea breaking over her, was a 
vessel, wrecked during a recent norther. As we steamed 
into the harbor, I noted on either side a number of coral 
reefs which appeared to form atolls. We came to anchor 
under the lee of the old fort of San Juan de la Ulua. The 
health officers soon appeared, and after their inspection we 
were permitted to land. 

Passengers were obliged, here as in the States, to open 
their baggage for inspection, and declare any dutiable 
articles. The Mexican free list included personal clothing, 
articles worn in use, as watch, cane, etc., and firearms (one 
or two with their accessories). Each adult male passenger 
may bring in ninety-nine cigars, forty packages of cigarettes, 
and one and one-half pounds of snuff or chewing tobacco. 
Professional men may bring in free the tools pertaining to 
their professions. The custom house officials we found 
polite and obliging, and in a very short time we were at 
liberty to proceed on our journey. 

Leaving our baggage at the Hotel Mexico, we called in 



62 



A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



1883 


1884 


1885 


1886 


1887 


1888 


1889 


1890 


774 


136 


328 


208 


4 


3 


2 







a body upon the American Consul. This gentleman was 
very cordial, and gave us much information. Here we 
obtained statistics concerning yellow fever, which were very 
interesting. They showed that for the last three years pre- 
ceding 1890, there had been but nine deaths from the "^ever. 
The following table I copied from the official record, and 
shows a gradual decrease since 1885. 

Yellow Fever in Veracruz. 
Year. 

No. OF 
Deaths. 

The highest month was June, 1883, when 261 deaths 
occurred. The total number of deaths in twenty years was 
5493. 

From the lighthouse, situated near the quay, we 
secured an excellent view of the city and surrounding 
country. Looking seaward, we saw the harbor with its 
numerous shipping lying at anchor, the grim old fortress on 
the Island of San Juan de la Uiua, the coral reefs stretching 
away in the distance, with the waves beating over them, 
throwing up a line of white foam. Inland, the view pre- 
sented a very interesting scene. Just back of the city rose 
a series of sand dunes, which extended several miles into 
the country; and back of these rose a chain of mountains, 
looking faint and misty in the distance. From our high 
position the city appeared about a mile square, built upon, 
and surrounded by, sand. The houses were flat roofed and 
nearly square, built of stone, and two or three stories in 
height. The only vegetation about the city was low scrubby 
bushes and cacti. The domes were, in some places, black 
with buzzards. In the afternoon we visited the south end 
of the town, and walked a little way into the country, but 
all we could find were a few dead and bleached shells, and 
an occasional lizard of small size. 












«^^ 




ATOYAC RIVER. 63 

From Veracruz we sent home our long-neglected let- 
ters. The postal regulations of the country are somewhat 
peculiar; a letter may be sent to the United States for five 
cents, but to any state in Mexico, the charge is fifteen cents. 

The following day, at 5:45 A. M. , we left Veracruz by the 
Mexican Central Railroad for Orizaba. After leaving the 
city, the line passed in sight of the Alameda, the cemetery 
of Mata, and then crossed the Laguna de Cocos. For the 
first few miles we passed over the sandy, chaparral region 
which bordered the coast. Near Soledad, twenty-six miles 
from Veracruz, we crossed the Rio Jamapa, on a bridge 
over four hundred feet long. From this point, the grand 
and impressive wonders of the mountains began. From 
Soledad to Paso del Macho, we passed through a rocky and 
desolate region. Soon the bridge of Alejo was crossed; 
this was a handsome structure three hundred and eighteen 
feet long, and thirty feet above the stream beneath, which 
is a tributary of the Atoyac. Here sugar cane and coffee 
plantations began to appear, and the verdure assumed a 
more tropical aspect. The trees were covered with those 
curious and beautiful parasites, the orchids, and we began 
to see what Mexico really was. We now wound around the 
base of the Cerro de Chiquihuite, and passed through a tun- 
nel two hundred feet in length. From here we crossed the 
Chiquihuite bridge, and soon came in sight of the beautiful 
falls of the Atoyac. They certainly presented a most beau- 
tiful and picturesque scene, nestled as they were in the 
midst of a dense, tropical jungle. 

Looking up this ravine we saw the Atoyac river, wind- 
ing down like a silver thread, and ending in the magnificent 
series of falls. Orchids abounded here in great numbers, 
and the locality seemed a perfect paradise for a collector. 
Mollusks and insects must abound here in great numbers, 
and the avifauna must be />ar excellence. 



^* -^ NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

Just before reaching the d6pot of Atoyac, we crossed 
the bridge, three hundred and thirty feet long, spanning the 
river of the same name. Here the steepest portion of the 
ascent began, a grade of four per cent, and the double- 
ender Fairlie locomotive was attached to the train. Be- 
tween Atoyac and Cordoba, we passed through a fertile 
country which supported a tropical vegetation. Several 
small tunnels were passed through, and then we reached 
Cordoba. At this station a number of natives boarded the 
train, with fruit to sell, for Cordoba is almost in the center 
of the tropical fruit region. 

From Cordoba the scenery was of surpassing grandeur; 
the railway slowly wound up the sides of the mountains, while 
beneath were deep canons, and the scenery was wild in the 
extreme. We now passed through five tunnels and crossed 
three bridges. At the Metlac bridge, crossing the ravine 
of the same name, we encountered the finest scenery. This 
bridge was three hundred and fifty feet long, and ninety-two 
feet above the stream below. The grade here was three 
per cent. It was a grand, and at the same time a wild 
sight, to look over the side of that bridge, into the rushing 
waters below. It was said that in the wet season, the water 
rose within ten feet of the track. What a grand sight it 
must be then to make the upward journey. On the bank 
beside the bridges were little houses, in which lived people 
who watched for accidents to either bridge or track, and 
who gave warning to trains if anything was wrong. This 
was certainly a wise precaution. Soon the valley of 
Orizaba came in view, and the ddpot of that town was soon 
reached. This is the capital of the State of Veracruz, which 
state contains over half a million of inhabitants. We were 
here eighty miles from Veracruz, and one hundred and 
eighty from the City of Mexico. We were unable to obtain 
accommodations at the hotel, so were obhged to seek 



CITY OF ORIZABA. 65 

quarters at a casa de huespedcs, or boarding house. Here 
we vvere- to spend a week in collecting, and studying the 
fauna, flora, and Geology. 

Orizaba has over twenty thousand inhabitants, and is 
one of the oldest and quaintest cities in Mexico. The 
windows of the houses are low and iron grated, as is usual 
with Spanish towns. Most of the dwellings are but one 
story in height, built with broad, overhanging eaves, and 
are composed of morter, sun-dried brick, and a variety of 
other material. Wood, however, does not enter to any 
great extent in their construction. The pitched roofs are 
covered with big red tiles, which serve to throw off the heat 
of the burning sun, as well as the rain. 

There are numerous churches here, several of which 
are quite imposing structures Gabriel Barranco, a 

native artist, has contributed many oil paintings of consider- 
able merit to many of these churchs. Earthquakes are 
frequent here, a fact attested by numerous cracks in the 
church towers. The steeple of the largest church was 
thrown down several times by this agency. Several good 
schools have been established here, and are doing good work. 
They are supported by the local government. The church 
party, however, are doing their best to suppress them, but 
do not seem to succeed. Four schools are for boys, and 
three for girls. 

A river runs through the town, and affords ample power 
for six or eight mills, which manufacture sugar, cotton, and 
flour. The surrounding valley is very fertile, and is mostly 
devoted to the raising of coffee, sugar-cane, and tobacco. 
The climate is very fine all the year, the average tempera- 
ture being 1b° Fahr. in summer, and very seldom falls be- 
low 60° at any time. The valley a'ffords an agreeable 
medium between the hot lands, and the cold and rarified 
atmosphere of the Mexico plateau. In this vicinity one sees 



66 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

the orange, lemon, banana, and almond growing at their 
best, while the coffee, sugar-cane, and tobacco plantations 
will compare favorably with any in Cuba. Sugar-cane land 
can be had here for from forty to fifty dollars an acre, which 
will compare favorably with Louisiana land which sells at 
one thousand dollars an acre. Cotton is very extensively 
grown in the State of Veracruz, and thrives up to an eleva- 
tion of five thousand feet above the sea. According to 
Mexican statistics, the average product is about two 
thousand pounds to the acre; this is double the average 
quantity produced in the United States. The modes of 
cultivation are very crude, but the wonderful fertility of the 
soil insures good and remunerative returns, even under 
these disadvantages. Water is almost the only fertilizer 
used, and irrigating facilities are excellent. 

On the west side of the town is an elevation known as 
£/ Borrego, or The Goat, where five thousand Mexicans 
were completely routed by a single company of French 
Zouaves, during the French invasion. This was a night 
surprise, wherein the French appeared suddenly among the 
sleeping Mexicans, and cut them down as fast as they awoke. 
The importance and superiority of disciplined troops was 
never more clearly demonstrated than on this occasion. 
Military discipline is not a characteristic of tne Mexican 
army, as may be seen at any time when they are making a 
parade. Orizaba, it will be remembered, was for a time 
the headquarters of General Bazaines'army, and it was here 
that the French General, finally, in 1866, bade good-by to 
Maximilian, whose cause he dastardly deserted. Stories are 
still told here of the outrages committed by the French 
soldiery. 

The streets of the town are in very good condition, 
paved with lava. The gutters are in the middle of the 
streets, and the sidewalks are but a few inches in width. 



CITY OF ORIZABA, 67 

Very few wheeled vehicles are used, the freight being 
carried almost wholly on the backs of burros and natives. 
All the produce of the neighboring country, such as vege- 
tables, charcoal, wood, etc., comes in on the backs of 
natives, men and women, and it is really astonishing to see 
what heavy loads they will carry for miles over the moun- 
tains, at the rate of five or six miles an hour. These natives 
enjoy wonderful physical health, owing probably to their 
simple life. They are subject to hardly any deformity, and 
a hunchbacked native is not to be seen, while it is very 
rare to meet a maimed or a lame one. Their simple mode 
of life, living in the open air, and their temperate habits, 
e earned for them immunity from deformity. What a 
lesson for our more advanced civilization ! The simple 
native seldom indulges in pulque, and when he does the 
effect is far less harmful than our American whisky. 

The small plaza is a delightful resort, a perfect wilder- 
ness of green with an ornamental fountain in the middle, 
about which are stone seats. The entire surrt)undings of 
Orizaba are garden-like, and the vegetation, owing to the 
humidity of the atmosphere rising from the Gulf, is always 
of a vivid green. If we walked through the plaza early in 
the morning, we would be sure to see many native men and 
women coming into market from the country, all bending 
under their weight of provisions, pottery, or some other 
home product. The women knit as they walk along. 
Long trains of burros loaded with grain, straw, wood, and 
alfalfa, are also seen coming in from some hacienda in the 
valley. The milkmen, too, are seen, with their milk cans, 
two on each side, suspended from their horses saddles. 

It will be remembered that at the little town of Jala- 
pilla, situated a couple of miles from town, Maximilian held 
the famous council which decided his fate. Had he taken 
heed to his own common sense, and the advice of his 



68 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

friends, he would yet be living, and Carlotta would not 
have become the insane wreck she was. Veracruz was but 
a da}s' journey away, and a French steamboat lay off San 
Juan de la Ulua, ready to convey him across the sea. The 
pressure of the church party, his own pride and the con- 
fidence of Carlotta, decided his fate. 

We employed our few days in Orizaba to good advant- 
age in collecting specimens about the town, and in the 
valley, of which there were an abundance. The morning 
after our arrival, I took my gun and walked out to see what 
sport the valley afforded. The forest bordering the Rio 
Blanco, which flowed through the valley, was extremely rich 
and picturesque, although the soil was damp. In every 
hollow flowed a sparkling brook with crystal waters. The 
margins of the river were paradises of leafiness and verdure; 
the most striking feature being the variety of ferns, with im- 
mense leaves, some terrestrial, others climbing over trees. 
I saw here some very large trees; there was one especially, 
whose colossal trunk towered up for nearly a hundred feet, 
straight as an arrow. Birds along this picturesque river 
were very abundant. In several places near the river bank, 
the natives had made their little plantations, and built lit- 
tle huts. The people were always cheerful and friendly, 
and seemed to be glad to assist us in any manner. King- 
fishers, hawks, humming-birds, warblers, and finches, were 
seen here in considerable numbers. In the brooks empty- 
ing into the Rio Blanco, we found large numbers of 
mollusks, the first quantity of living animals of this class 
which we had seen while in Mexico. 

Physa and Linuicca were the most abundant. Z. 
cubensis has a very wide distribution, being found from New 
England, where it is known as L. umbilicata, west to Missouri, 
and south to Cuba and the State of Veracruz. In the woods 
bordering the stream we found the Texan Kingfiisher, the 



VILLAGE OF NOG ALES. 69 

Myrtle Warbler, Audubon's Warbler, the common Sparrow 
Hawk {^Falco sparverius, a very wide distribution), and 
several swallows. 

The forest was very pleasant for rambling. In some 
directions broad pathways led down gentle slopes, through 
almost interminable shrubberies of green foliage, to moist 
hollows, where the springs of water bubbled up, or shallow 
brooks ran over their beds of pebbles or muddy floors. The 
most beautiful road was one that ran through a beautiful 
grove of lofty trees, crossed the Rio Blanco on a high bridge, 
and terminated below the high walls of the neighboring 
hills. Birds and insects were here very plentiful, and many 
a rare and beautiful specimen was added to our collection. 
One spot, a few miles from the town, I shall not soon forget; 
it was on a hill which sloped abruptly towards a boggy 
meadow, suirounded by woods, through which a narrow 
winding path continued the slope down to a cool and shady 
glen, with a brook of cold water flowing at the bottom At 
mid-day the vertical sun penetrated into the gloomy depths 
of this romantic spot, lighting up the leafy banks of the 
stream, where numbers of Scarlet Tanagers and brightly 
colored butterflies sported about in the stray leaves. 

One afternoon we took the 
street cars for the little village 
of Nogales, where a large mar- 
ble quarry was situated. The 
street car service here was some- 
thing remarkable. It impressed 
us the moment we saw it. The 
cars themselves were quite sim- 

CAEYCHIUM MEXICANUM, PILSBKY _ _ ^ 

(ENLAEGED.) liar to thosc used in the States; 

but the service was certamly unique. The cars were drawn 
by a couple of burros, which were driven at a run. The 





70 A l^ATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

drivers sounded a small horn on approaching the inter- 
section of streets, and everything went with a grand rush. 
The mules did not suffer much from this rapid transit pace, 
as might be supposed, for they were frequently changed, 
and were generally in excellent condition. Our road 
ran along the base of the Cerro de Borrego, crossed the 
valley of Orizaba, and then again skirted the base of the 
hills. Nogales was a neat little village of a few hundred 
inhabitants, and was worthy of description. We did not 
have time, unfortunately, to form an adequate idea of its 
character. The marble yards bordered a deep ravine, through 
which flowed a picturesque stream. In the vicinity of the 
village we saw several washouts, showing the tremendous 
force with which the water must rush down the mountains 
during the wet season. On n-^arly every one of our 
excursions, we were greeted by a magnificent view of the 
glistening, snow-capped peak of Orizaba, rising high above 
the clouds. 

One afternoon, a day or two before leaving Orizaba, we 
visited a quarry to the east of the town. On our way we 
passed tlirough the market place. The scene presented 
here was very picturesque and interesting. On the edges 
of the sidewalks, and in the streets, were placed little 
patches of straw matting, upon which were displayed the 
different articles the natives had for sale. Beside the 
matting sat native man and women, cross-legged, each one 
waiting patiently for some one to come and buy. The 
natives were dressed in loose clothes. The men wore whit'e 
cotton pants and shirts, and had on their heads straw hats 
or sombreros. The women wore woolen skirts of a dark 
color and cotton waists, over which was thrown a shawl of 
a slate color. Everything about them tended to induce 
freedom of movement. Their skin was a tawny copper 
color, their hair jet black. They appeared inferior in in- 



CERRO DE ESCAMELA. 71 

tellect to the Yucatecans, and did not have that quickness 
of perception noticed in the latter race. 

I noted several young girls carrying babies, somewhat 
after the North American Indian fashion, in their shawls, 
strung across their backs. They were often seen with the 
children astraddle their backs. The articles displayed for 
sale were fruits, sweetmeats, articles of clothing, cutlery, 
etc. Thursday and Sunday were the principal market 
days, when the people for miles around flocked in to buy 
and sell. Milkmen were also seen delivering their mornings 
milk 

About a mile from the town we reached the quarry. This 
was not large, and had been worked but a short time. We 
were fortunate enough to obtain a number of fossils, y. hich 
gave the geological horizon of the Cretaceous for the 
region. While several of the party were investigating the 
quarry, I ascended to the top of the hill, known as the 




PATULA INTONSA, PILSBEY. 

Cerro de Escamela, and had a splendid view of the valley, 
the best I had as yet enjoyed. This mountain rises 1417 
feet above the valley, and has an absolute elevation of 5800 
feet. 

Crossing this mountain a few hundred feet, I came to 
a little ravine, where a large number of small moUusks were 



72 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

collected under the wet leaves. A small Pupa [F. con- 
tracta) I found quite abundant. Among others found were 
three species of Patula {^P. intonsa, Pilsbi'y), three of 
Streptostyla, and several Helicina. I picked up a Carychium 
(C mexicanu7}i) in great quantities, and a Proserpina {P. 
Ceres salleana^ of two distinct varieties, one red and one 
buff. 

In the rocks we found the following fossils, all refer- 
able to the Cretaceous deposits. Narica^a castillo, found 
imbedded in the marble and identified from a polished sec- 
tion. A Murex was found, but in such a state as to be un- 
determinable, so far as specific characters were concerned. 
A Tylostoma was also found of very large size, but in such 
a twisted condition as to be unrecognizable. Several other 
specimens were found, of which the generic identity could 
only be determined. These were Ostrea, Caprina, and 
Hippurites. 

On the second of April we again boarded the Mexico and 
Veracruz train for another journey skyward, for we had yet 
some four thousand feet to climb before reaching the Mexi- 
can plateau. After leaving Orizaba, the line passed 
through a fertile valley for a few miles, and then again 
came to the steep mountain slope. From Orizaba to 
Maltrata, the railway ran parallel with the Rio Blarico, and 
crossed its tributaries in several places. A short time be- 
fore reaching Maltrata, we passed the Barranca del In- 
fienillo, ox "Ravine of the Little Hell." This was a wild 
and desolate place, dropping six hundred feet below the 
ledge on which the track was laid. Far below, in the 
depths of this ravine, was seen a liny stream, looking like a 
silver thread, winding its way down. In this deep gorge 
the effects of crushing and folding of the rocks was well 
seen. The limestone was here standing at every conceiv- 
able angle, and was overlaid by a huge mass of lava, to 




1 



PEfy 



E- 1 



TOWN OF MALTRATA. 73 

which the crushing was partly due. Beyond this point we 
reached the valley of La Joya, " The Jewel," in the midst of 
which lay the town of Maltrata. At Maltrata, all the tropi- 
cal fruits, such as oranges, limes, citrons, pomegranates, 
avocato pears, pineapples, bananas, etc., were sold at the 
lowest prices by girls, who assembled in great numbers 
when the train arrived. A short stop was made here, and 
then we proceeded onward and upward. 

We now ascended in long, sweeping curves, along a 
terrace cut in the side of the mountain. In some places, 
three lines of track could be seen below us, running (ap- 
parently) parallel to each other. At LaBota, "The Boot," 
the view was grand. The valley lay stretched out before 
us, with the little town of Maltrata in the distance, looking 
like a child's toy. Cows and horses could be made out, and 
here and there a little lake or stream. The railroad was 
seen winding its way through like a black thread. Beyond 
this the mountains rose in the far distance like a blue mist. 
We soon crossed Winner's bridge, named in honor of the 
builder, ninety-six feet long and almost as high. It gave 
one the shivers to look out of the car window, and contem- 
plate as to what would become of us should the train jump 
the track here, as it often does in the States in such places. 
I am afraid our friends would never be able to recognize us. 
From here we passed through a tunnel and came to the Boca 
del Monte, the "Mouth of the Mountain," on the eastern 
edge of the Mexican plateau. Here the grand scenery 
ended, and the rest of the ride was through clouds of dust, 
over a comparatively level country. As we sped along, 
clouds of dust were continually coming in through the cracks 
in the windows, making the ride very .disagreeable. 

At three o clock we reached San Andres Chalchicomula. 
The d^pot was situated some four miles ofi the railroad, 
and was connected with the town by a tramway. This was 



74 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

composed of two cars, one for passengers, and one for bag- 
gage. We crossed a sandy plain in which grew a few 
scrubby bushes; here and there rose huge volcanic cones, 
rising to a height of two or three hundred feet. As we en- 
tered the town, we noted its similarity to Merida. Here 
were the same stone houses and barred windows. We were 
now 7973 feet above the sea, and the air was deliciously 
cool. We engaged a room at the Hotel de Novedad, and 
secured very good accommodations. It had an aspect 
which was very pleasing, after our sojourn in the sub- 
tropics. 

The quaint town of San Andres Chalchicomula con- 
tains some four thousand inhabitants, mostly natives. It is 
situated at the base of a small plateau, to the southwest of 
the Peak of Orizaba; the streets are hilly and narrow, with 
wide roads and narrow sidewalks. The principal building 
of interest is the Church, situated about the center of the 
town. It is built upon a broad terrace, and is quite an im- 
posing structure. Back of the town the hills rise gradually, 
finally culminating in the Peak of Orizaba, probably the 
highest mountain in North America. 

Here I may say that Mexico has three well-defined 
climates; hot in the tierra caliente, or hot lands of the coast; 
temperate in the ticrra templada, or region lying at an ele- 
vation of between three and six thousand feet above the 
level of the saa; cold in the ticrra fria, or regions lying at 
an elevation of more than six thousand feet above the level 
of the sea. The mean temperatures are as follows: 
Tierra caliente 80°. 
" templada 70°. 
" fria 60°. 




MEXICAN CBOSSBILL. 



CHAPTER VII. 

We found both the fauna and flora of San Andres to 
differ greatly from that of Orizaba, four thousand feet below. 
Here v/ere pine and spruce scattered about, and other trees 
of the temperate climate. The birds were quite perceptably 
different; here jays, resembling our Florida Blue Jay, 
Chewinks, Purple Finches, sparrows, 
Golden-winged Woodpeckers, Cross- 
bills, and snow-birds, were seen. We 
seemed to have stepped from the 
tropics into the temperate region. 
The Broad-tailed Humming-bird was 
tolerably common. Every day, in the 
cooler hours of the morning or even- 
ing, they were seen whirling about the bushes. Their 
habits are unlike those of all other birds. They dart to 
and fro so swiftly that the eye can scarcely follow them, and 
when they stop before a flo\ver it is only for a few moments. 
They poise themselves in an unsteady manner, their wings 
moving rapidly; probe the flower, and then shoot off for 
another part of the shrub. Sometimes two males close 
with each other and fight, mounting upward in the struggle, 
and then hastily separating and darting back to their work. 
Their brilliant colors cannot be seen while they are flutter- 
ing about, and the different species are difficult to distin- 
guish. This species was the only one seen, although I 
believe others are to be found in the region. 

We were somewhat astonished at the utter absence of 
insect life, which was quite a contrast from Orizaba, where 
we had seen them in great numbers. The country between 
San Andres and the Peak of Orizaba was cut up into deep 



76 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

gullies or barrancas, in which we found several species of 
birds. The soil here was volcanic, consisting of ash, cin- 
ders, and lava, which had flowed from Orizaba. From the 
bluff, back of the town, we enjoyed many a fine view of the 
surrounding country, showing us a flat plain, covered with 
large and small volcanic cones. Every morning we were 
greeted by a fine view of the white peak. 

Near San Francisco, a small village some two miles 
from San Andres, the Maguey plant was cultivated to a 
great extent. This is the plant from which the famous 
Mexican drink, pulque, is made. It is gathered in the fol- 
lowing manner: when the central shoot, which produces the 
flower, appears, they cut out the whole heart, leaving noth- 
ing but the thick walls, which makes a natural basin, two 
feet in depth and one and one-half in diameter. Into this 
opening the sap flows, and is removed twice or three times 
daily. It is collected in a large gourd, called an acojate, 
having a horn at one end and a square hole at the other, 
through which the sap is drawn by suction. This sap, be- 
fore fermentation, is called aguamil or honey water. It is 
carried into the towns in sheep-skin barrels, with the hair 
inside. The Mexicans derive an immense revenue from this 
plant, many plantations yielding ten or twelve thousand 
dollars annually. 

This being Holy Week, we were not able to make ar- 
rangements for the ascent of Orizaba until the close of the 
festivities. On Holy Thursday, in the evening, we walked 
about the town, having a good opportunity to observe the 
customs of the people on festival days. The streets were 
crowded with people walking up and down. On the corners 
of the streets, and especially in the plaza, were men with 
tables before them, upon which were placed for sale ice- 
cream, sweet-cakes, and various kinds of confectionary. In 
some places small trinkets and other articles of merchandise 



THE ASCENT OF ORIZABA. 11 

replaced the ice-cream. The municipal building was 
lighted with candles, and presented" a very pretty appear- 
ance. The church was decorated very tastefully, and was 
lighted by a multitude of candles; some were strung about 
the sides of the church, while others hung in long pendents 
from the roof. The altars were all covered up, and had but 
few candles before them. The whole effect was at once 
pretty and impressive. 

People were passing to and fro from the church in a 
continuous stream. Wishing to see more of the church, we 
edged our way through the crowd and entered. Before the 
covered altars were kneeling people in every station of life. 
The proprietors of haciendas and the poor natives were side 
by side; richly dressed ladies and native girls in rags were 
kneeling together, their dresses touching. In fact, the 
solemnity of the occasion seemed to bring all classes to the 
same level. Throughout the whole church not a sound was 
heard. The people stepped softly, and spoke not a single 
word inside the church during the time we were in it. We 
were afterwards told that it was the custom to perform their 
devotions on this day in silence. 

On the 6th of April, we set out for the ascent of Orizaba 
(called by the Aztecs, Citlaltepetl, or Mountain of the Star) 
with eleven guides and carriers, and several burros. Be- 
sides our guns, ammunition, and other collecting utensils, 
we had provisions for three days, consisting of eggs, bread, 
oranges, dried beef, and a cask of water. Our road led 
over a sandy plain, slightly ascending. After following this 
for four or five miles, we reached the forests of pine and 
spruce. At this point the ascent became very steep, and 
the burros labored very heavily under their burdens. Here 
the song of the robin was heard, and blue-jays were seen in 
abundance. We might easily have imagined ourselves in a 
New England pine forest The trees here were noble ex- 



78 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

amples of arboreal growth, many of them being over a 
hundred feet high, and running up as straight as an arrow. 
The ground was covered with pine kneedles, making a floor 
as soft as velvet, and the odor was delicious. 

At a height of 10,750 feet, we halted for lunch, and to 
give the burros a rest. The thermometer here registered 
63*^ Fahr. , and the air was quite chilly. We must have pre- 
sented a rather wild appearance, dressed as we were in all 
manner of costumes, with the natives in their white pants 
and jackets and wide brimmed sombreros, with revolvers 
sticking from their belts ! After a half hours rest we again 
proceeded up the mountain. Now and then we caught 
glimpses of the world below, with its valleys, towns, and 
clouds. The up-grade soon became terrific, and the burros 
could hardly carry us along. Evidences of volcanic action 
now appeared on every hand, in the shape of huge blocks 
of lava, and cinders. Here the vegetation began to thin 
out, the pines disappearing, but the spruces still keeping 
on, though the trees were smaller ?nd less numerous than 
lower down. The Sierra Negra was seen on our right, and 
through a cleft in the mountains we caught occasional 
glimpses of the peak. Another level plain was crossed, a 
stony path ascended, and then a full and magnificent view 
of the peak burst upon our sight. 

We made our camp, for the night, on a ledge jutting 
from the side of the mountain. Here we prepared our sup- 
per, and endeavored" to spend a comfortable night. As the 
sun set the cold became intense, and our thick blankets 
were scarcely adequate to keep us from suffering severely 
from the low temperature. Nothing occurred to disturb 
our rest, save the howling of coyotes and the uneasiness of 
the burros in their cramped quarters. Our camp was at an 
altitude of over 13,000 feet, and as yet none of us ex- 
perienced any difficulty from the rarified atmosphere. 



THE ASCENT OF ORIZABA. ^ 79 

Next morning (April "Tth), at four o'clock, we turned 
out, ate a light meal, and started for the peak on foot. We 
were well protected from the cold by extra jackets, which 
we had brought with us. To prevent us from slipping on 
the ice, we wore stockings over our shoes. Leaving the 
ledge of rock where we had spent the night, we first passed 
over a comparatively level plain, covered with tufts of dried, 
half-dead grass. The soil here was sandy, and progression 
difficult. A gentle incline was soon reached, which carried 
us to the foot of the peak proper. Here the last vestige of 
vegetation disappeared, and we were surrounded by black 
and barren blocks of lava. Soon the rise was at an angle 
of thirty-five degrees, and the climbing became very fa- 
tiguing. One of our party soon showed signs of giving out, 
and complained of pains in his head and stomach; he also 
had a desire to lie down and go to sleep. At a height of 
14,000 feet, he was obliged to succumb and return to the 
camp. Now the ascent was over huge boulders and 
crumbling stones, and in many places a few steps forward 
were followed by one backwards. From our present ele- 
vation we were enabled to view the country for many miles. 
Way off in the distance were seen the snow-capped peaks of 
Popocatepetl and IxtaccihuatI, sister peaks to Orizaba. 
Down in the valley below was seen the town of San Andres, 
appearing like a child's toy, and scattered over the plain 
were towns and villages in every direction. 

Frequent rests were now taken, for the rarified air was 
beginning to tell on the rest of us. At one of our resting- 
places, I had the good fortune to observe the clouds rising 
slowly from the valley. As the}' rose higher and higher, 
peak after peak was covered, until a level sea of clouds lay 
before me, with here and there a point appearing above it 
like an island in the midst of a sea. It was the most beau- 
tiful sight I had ever seen. Again we arose and stumbled 



80 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

on. The guides were now some distance ahead, and we 
followed on as quickly as possible. Soon the snow-field 
was reached, and here the truly difficult part of the ascent 
began. - The field was cut up into little hillocks, which 
rendered progression over it much easier than it would have 
been, had it been a smooth fisld of frozen snow. When 
within three hundred feet of the summit, I was seized with 
the most violent symptoms. My head swam, my eyes be- 
came bloodshot, and my stomach felt very qualmish. A 
ringing noise entered my ears, and I was obliged to desist 
from ascending further. Another of my companions was 
affected in the same manner, and btit one was able to reach 
the act^ial summit, and he had to be hauled up with ropes 
by the natives. Our descent was somewhat novel. A na- 
tive had carried with him a piece of straw matting, and upon 
this we sat and were pulled down a sandy incline of thirty- 
five degrees, in much the same manner that coasting is done 
in Canada. We arrived at the camp foot-sore and weary, 
and were glad enough to lie down and rest. 

Our determination showed that the height formerly 
givtn for tlie mountain is too low. After making allow- 
ances for slight variations, the height of the mountain is 
18,200 feet. The barometer, at the summit, read 15.56 
inches, and the temperature was 35'^ Fahr. During the as- 
cent of the second day, the barometer indicated a drop of .1 
inch. In 1796, Ferrer, by means of angle measurements 
taken from the Encero, determined the height to be 17,879 
feet. Humboldt, a few years later, measured the mountain 
from a plain, near the town of Jalapa, and obtained 17,375 
feet. He observed, however, that his angles of elevation 
were very small, and the base-line difficult to level. In 
1877, a Mexican scientific commission, composed of MM. 
Plowes, Rodriguez, and Vigil, made the ascent of the 
volcano from the side of San Andres, and determined the 




^ti^^aeg; ^-iteia 



SPECIES OF BIRDS. 81 

height to be 17,664 feet. Dr. Kaska, not long since, de- 
termined, b}/ a mercurial thermometer, the height to be 
18,045 feet. Should our deductions prove correct, then 
Orizaba, -and not Popocatepetl, must take the first place 
among the mountains of North America. The second night 
was passed like the first, in hugging the fire. Early on the 
following morning we returned to San Andres, reaching 
there late in the afternoon. The only life observed on the 
peak was a Sparrow Hawk, a raven, an,d a few small lizards. 
Before leaving San Andres, a word concerning its avi- 
fauna may not be out of place. As before said, the differ- 
ence between the bfrds of San Andres and those of Orizaba, 
4,000 feet below, was marked. Only three species were 
common to both localities. Nearly all species belonged to 
northern genera. In the town, the only birds observed 
were the House Finch, Blue Grosbeak, and Barn Swallow. 
In the sandy stretch of country, between San Andres and 
the pine woods, on the slopes of Orizaba, the most charac- 
teristic species were sparrows, thrushes, the Black-eared 
Bush Tit, Brown and Mexican Towhee. In the pine forest 
the American Robin, Bluebird, Mexican Chickadee, Sumi- 
chrast's Jay, and Audubon's Warbler, were abundant. A 
peculiar fact observed was that none of the characteristic 
birds oi' the open country were found on the wooded part 
of the mountain. Snowbirds and Sumichrast's Jay, how- 
ever, were found on the plain some distance from the edge 
of the forest. Of the other branches — mollusks, insects, 
etc. — we saw nothing, save a few lizards. The following 
day we left San Andres for the City of Mexico, arriving at 
the latter place at midnight. We put up at the Hotel 
Humboldt, situated on the Calle de Jesus, where we 
secured very excellent accommodations. 



CHAPTER YIII. 

What Paris is to France, the City of Mexico is to the 
Mexican Republic. The city derived its name from the 
Aztec war-god Mexitli. It is a large metropolis, containing 
something over three hundred thousand inhabitants, em- 
bracing a large diversity of nationalities. When Cortez first 
saw the city, in 1519, it was said to measure nine miles in 
circumference, and to contain half a million inhabitants. 
This statement is probably greatly exaggerated. The an- 
cient Aztec Capital, bearing the- name of Tenochtitlan, 
was completely destroyed by Cortez, who established on its 
site the present city. The streets of the city are broad 
and straight, lined with two-story houses, and there are also 
several spacious avenues and boulevards. The houses are 
built mostly of stone, covered with stucco; the windows 
op.ening upon little balconies, shaded by awnings of differ- 
ent colors. They are built after the usual Spanish style, 
with a central courtyard. The open areas about which the 
houses are built often present most pleasing displays o^ 
fountains, flowers, and statuary. On the main street, lead- 
ing from the plaza to the alameda, are several private resi- 
dences, having very handsome courts, ox patios, as they are 
called, filled with the most beautiful flowers, and rendered 
musical by the singing of caged birds. 

Upon these areas, which are open to the sky, the inner 
doors and windows open, the second story being furnished 
with a walk and balustrade running round the patio. 
Heavy doors, studded with nails, shut off this patio from 
the street at night. 

The houses of the capital are substantially built, the 
walls being of great thickness, and composed of stuccoed 



CITY OF MEXICO. 83 

bricks. The roofs are nearly all flat and without chimneys; 
there is no provision made for artificial heat, nor indeed is 
there need of any in a climate where the temperature sel- 
dom fails below 60" Fahr. It is always warm in the middle 
of the day, and cool in the morning and evening. The 
climate is temperate, and the atmosphere very dry. Fires, 
on account of the indestructibility of the houses, are a rare 
occurrence. 

The main thoroughfares enter and depart from the 
Plaza Major. Some are broad and some narrow, but all 
are paved, straight, and clean. The street car service is 
excellent. All the cars depart from the main plaza in front 
of the cathedral. They are always in a hurry; the mules 
are driven very rapidly through the crowded thoroughfares, 
yet no accidents happen. Funerals are conducted by turn- 
ing one of these cars into a hearse, or catafalque, another 
car being reserved for the mourners and pall-bearers. A 
long string of these cars may sometimes be seen gliding 
into the suburbs, where the grave-yards are located. The 
drivers of the cars blow cow-horns at the intersection of the 
streets, to warn people off the track. The fact that all the 
cars leave and enter the Plaza Major, makes it compar- 
atively easy for a stranger to find his way around the city 
and surrounding suburbs The central plaza of every Mex- 
ican city and town, is always the central park. 

The streets of Mexico intersect each other at right 
angles, and are so nearly alike that it is a little puzzling for 
the stranger to find his way about them. Another draw- 
back is the awkward manner of naming the streets, each 
block of a single street having a different name. This sub- 
division is, however, to be entirely discarded, and in a few 
years the streets will be named like those of our northern 
cities. The Paseo de la Reforma is the principal boulevard, 
and connects the city with Chapultepec. It is over two 



84 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

miles in length and over one hundred feet in width; it has 
double avenues of Eucalyptus shade trees on either side, 
with stone sidewalks and seats, placed at short intervals, 
made of the same material. At certain places the paseo 
widens into a glorieta, or circle, four hundred feet in di- 
ameter, in which are placed handsome statues. The first 
contains the statue of Columbus, by Cordier, a very hand- 
some and artistic piece of work. Another circle contains 
the equestrian statue of Charles IV, of colossal size, thirty 
tons of metal being used in the casting. It is said to be 
the largest casting ever made. Another glorieta contains 
the statue of the native martyr Guatemozin, the last of the 
Aztec eniperors. There are in all six of these, circles, all 
of which are destined to contain a fine monument. Maxi- 
mihan named this drive the Boulevarde Emperiale; but on 
the restoration of the Rebuplic the name was changed to 
the one by which it is now called. In the afternoon the 
paseo is thronged with a motley crowd of people driving, 
riding on horseback, or promenading; dashing equestrians 
in gay attire; tally-ho coaches conveying merry parties of 
tourists; and here and there a mounted policeman in fancy 
uniform. Among the pedestrians are well-dressed gentle- 
men in broadcloth suits, mingled with whom are the com- 
mon class of people in their picturesque costumes. The 
women lend color to the scene by their red and blue 
rebosas, drawn tightly over the shoulders, or tied across 
the chest, securing an infant to the back. Nothing more 
picturesque can be imagined than this ever changing crowd. 
Carriages go out towards Chapultepec on one side of the 
paseo and return on the other, leaving the central portion 
of the roadway exclusively for equestrians. Another boule- 
vard, known as the Paseo de la Viga, runs along the banks 
of the Xochimilco canal, but since the completion of the 
new paseo, this has ceased to be the favorite resort for 
driving. 



INTERESTING OBJECTS. 85 

The horses seen on the paseo, as well as all of the 
horses in Mexico, are of Arabian descent and are splendid 
animals. Thiy are medium-sized, high-spirited, with small 
ears, and a broad chest expanded by the rarified air of the 
high altitude. The saddles and trappings are gorgeous 
with silver ornaments, without any regard for tastefulness 
whatever; eighteen or twenty inches of leather, fancifully 
v/orked, are often attached to each stirrup. The Mexican 
rider wears a short leather jacket, set off by a dozen or 
more silver buttons, tight leather pantaloons, heavy with 
silver buttons, partially opened at the side and flaring at 
the bottom. Instead of a vest, he wears a frilled linen 
shirt. This is set off . by a scarlet scarf, tied about 
the waist. His spurs are of silver and frequently weigh 
half a pound each, while the rowels are an inch long. 
These spurs are more for show than use, however. On 
his head he wears a huge sombrero of brown- felt, the brim 
being ten or twelve inches broad, and the crown measur- 
ing the same in height. In addition there is a silver or 
gold cord placed about the crown, and frequently the 
wearer's monogram is worked in silver on the side. 

The soldiers quartered in the government building were 
frequently seen parading in the plaza. The Mexican 
soldier has neither shoes nor stockings, shoes being re- 
placed by sandals. The discipline is of the crudest sort; 
when marching they do not keep step, but move at will; 
it is a curious sight to see a company marching, with a band 
at their head, all keeping out of step, even the band. One 
would suppose the band, at least, would keep step, but 
such is not the case, although they are fine musicians. The 
troops wear linen or cotton uniforms, with silver buttons. 
On dress parades they wear a plain uniform of dark blue. 

One of the most interesting objects in Mexico is the 
famous Cathedral, fronting upon the Plaza Major. Ninety 



86 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

years of labor, and several millions of dollars, were spent 
in its construction. The edifice stands on the spot which 
was once occupied by the great Aztec Teocalli, or temple, 
dedicated to the war-god of the nation. The Spaniards 
destroyed the ancient tempje, as soon as they became 
masters of the country, and built a church upon its site; 
this was soon after pulled down, and the present edifice 
erected in its place. The ancient temple was said to have 
been pyramidal in form, the summit one hundred and fifty 
feet above the ground, reached by broad stone steps. Hu- 
man sacrifices were said to have been made here daily; wars 
were made with neighboring tribes to supply victims for the 
altar. The accounts of the Spanish chroniclers are probably 
greatly exaggerated, if not pure fabrications. The facade 
of the present edifice, at each side of which rises a massive 
tower, crowned by a bell-shaped dome, is divided by but- 
tresses into three parts. The towers are each over two 
hundred feet in height, of Doric and Ionic architecture. In 
the western tower is the great bell, named after the patron 
saint of Mexico, Santa Maria de Guadalupe, which measures 
nineteen feet in height, being the largest, in size and 
weight, in the world. The basso-relievos, statues, and 
friezes of the fagade are of White marble. The structure 
measures over four hundred feet in length, and two hundred 
in width, and is in shape like a cross. Its roof is supported 
by pillars, each thirty-five feet in circumference, and is one 
hundred and seventy-five feet from the floor. The high 
altar was once the richest in the world, but during the var- 
ious revolutions, this — and the other six — has been de- 
spoiled, and millions of dollars have been put in circulation 
from it. The candlesticks were of solid gold, and the 
statue of the Assumption was of the same metal, and studded 
with rubies and diamonds. But with all its losses, the 
church is decorated as no other on the American Continent. 



FAMOUS CATHEDRAL. 87 

The railing of the choir gallery was manufactured in China, 
and was said to have cost one and a half millions of dollars. 
An offer to replace it in solid silver was refused. On the 
sides of the church there are over a dozen chapels, 
inclosed in bronze gates, in one of which the body of 
Iturbide, the first Mexican Emperor, is buried. Two valu- 
able paintings hang upon the walls, one a Murillo, and 
the other an original Michael Angelo. The dim light 
which pervades the interior of the Cathedral, tempered by 
the light of the tall candles, lends a weirdness to the scene, 
but the effect, generally, is not so good as that rendered by 
our stained windows. Here, in 1864, Maximilian and 
Carlotta were crowned Emperor and Empress of Mexico. 

The view from the top of the Cathedral is grand, and should 
be seen by every tourist. It was from a height like this 
that Cortez first beheld the beauties of the valley of Anahuac. 
At our feet lies the plaza, with its tree-dotted Zocalo, while 
the entire city is spread out before us. Not far away looms 
against the sky the tall castle of Chapultepec, while the 
towers of Guadalupe come still nearer the vision. The dis- 
tant fields of Maguey, the smooth waters of the lakes, and 
the tall, sky-reaching elevations of Popocatepetl and Ixtac- 
cihuatl, make a scene which it is no wonder Humboldt de- 
clared to be the most beautiful eye ever rested on. We can 
almost see the elevated path between the two mountains 
over which Cortez, in 1520, and Scott, in 1847, led their 
conquering hosts. The front of the Cathedral is always be- 
seiged by beggars and lottery venders. Sometimes the 
lottery vender is a man who importunes you to purchase; 
sometimes a young girl, and at others, even a child of ten or 
twelve years. The Mexican Government realizes fully a 
million dollars per annum from licenses granted to protect 
this business; rich and poor alike invest, the difference be- 
ing only in the amount; strangers smother their scruples 



88 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

and purchase tickets, thus adding their mite to the iniquitous 
business. 

The City of Mexico is famous for its large number of 
scientific, Hterary, and charitable institutions, its rnany 
primary and advanced schools, and its well-appointed hos- 
pitals. The national palace covers the whole eastern side 
of the Plaza Major, and has a frontage of nearly or quite 
seven hundred feet; it occupies the site of the ancient 
palace of Montezuma. The present building was erected 
in 1G93. The palace is two stories in height, and has a 
tower over the central doorway. It contains the suite of 
rooms belonging to the President, and those belonging to 
the various departments of state. The Hall of Ambassadors 
is interesting on account of the collection of life-size por- 
traits of Mexican rulers, most of whom were either exiled or 
executed as traitors. Here also is a good portrait of 
Washington, and a battle-piece, bj'- a native artist, repre- 
senting the battle of Puebla, where the French were so 
completely defeated. An apartment known as Maximilian's 
room is shown to the visitor, situated in the corner of the 
palace, having two windows, one overlooking the plaza, and 
the other the public market. The Hall of Iturbide, hung in 
rich crimson damask, displaying the eagle and serpent, the 
arms of Mexico, is also shown. In the rear of the palace are the 
General Post-office and the National Museum. In the patio 
of the palace a small botanical garden is maintained, which 
contains many domestic and exotic trees and plants, several 
of which are very rare and curious. The rare and extra- 
ordinary plant, Cheirostemon platanifolium, is shown in the 
garden. This remarkable curiosity is called the hand-tree, 
and is covered with bright' scarlet flowers, almost exactly in 
the shape of the human hand. But three specimens of this 
plant are known to exist in Mexico. 

In the rear of the national palace is the Academy of 



ACADEiMY OF SAN CARLOS. 89 

Fine Arts— known as the Academy of San Carlos,— which 
contains many fine paintings by Vinci, Valasquez, Titian, 
Rubens, Perugino, and others. The paintings are situated 
on the second floor, while on the first floor there is a large 
hall of sculpture, containing casts of many classic statues. 
The art gallery is full of interest; it contains several price- 
less paintings by the old masters, as well as a large number 
of admirable pictures by native talent, which are remarka- 
ble for their execution. Two large canvases by Jose Maria 
Velasco, representing the Valley of Mexico, form fine and 
striking landscapes, which are surpassed by but few modern 
painters. The gem of the Academy, however, is, without 
doubt, the large painting by Felix Parra, a native artist, 
entitled "Las Casas protecting the Aztecs from slaughter 
by the Spaniards." This artist has given us an original 
conception most perfectly carried out. He is but 
thirty years of age, and has already made himself famous. 
The painting received first prize at the Academy of Rome. 
The Academy also contains an art school free to the youth 
of the city, and is assisted by the government to the amount 
of ^35,000 annually. Prizes are given for meritorious 
work; one annual prize is especially sought for, namely, an 
allowance of ^600 a year for six years, to enable the recipi- 
ent to study art abroad. The school is free to all, and the 
son of the peon has as good a right as he with the wealthiest 
parents. The institution is in a flourishing condition, but 
lacks the stimulus of an appreciative community to encour- 
age Its growth, and much emulation among its pupils. 

The native has always been a lover of the artistic and 
beautiful. The Aztec pictures were but early examples of 
this love struggling to assert itself. There are numerous 
paintings preserved in the National Museum, which are 
beautiful specimens of art. Some of these are on deer- 
skm, and some on papyrus made from the leaves of the 



90 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

Maguey plant. The art of metal casting and the manu- 
facture of cotton cloth was known to the ancient Toltecs 
and Aztecs. There are numerous examples still preserved, 
which show that the Aztec was an admirable worker in 
silver and gold. Cortez, in his hurry to send gold back to 
his sovereign, caused everything made of this precious 
metal to be consigned to the melting pot, and thus many 
fine specimens of the work were destroyed. Were speci- 
mens of these golden and silver ornaments now existing, 
they would be worth many times their weight in gold. The 
art, however, has been handed down from one generation 
to another, and the modern native can produce silver 
filigree work superior to anything made elsewhere. The 
native women also make the most exquisite pictures from 
colored pieces of straw, representing scenery and buildings 
with wonderful accuracy. They also make wax figures 
representing scenes and types of Mexican life. On San 
Francisco street, these statuettes may be seen reproducing 
the different types of Mexican life with wonderful fidelity. 
Another branch of art, which the ancient, as well as the 
modern Aztec excells in, is the production of feather work. 
The gorgeous plumage of parrots, humming-birds, trogans, 
and orioles, are especially adapted for this work. In 
ancient times the feathers were glued upon cotton-web, and 
made into dresses to be worn on festal occasions. There is 
preserved, in the museum, a beautiful robe of this character 
said to have been worn by Montezuma II. This industry 
has been inherited by the modern Aztecs, and pictures and 
small landscapes may be purchased anywhere in the city for 
a moderate sum. 

Not far from the Academy of Fine Arts is the National 
Conservatory of Music, founded in 1553. Near at hand, 
also, is the National Library, where there is a collection of 
nearly two hundred thousand volumes, many of them being 



NATIONAL LIBRARY. 91 

of extreme rarity. Here are to be found volumes of price- 
less value, among which is a large volume of painted 
pictures, said to be original dispatches from Montezuma 
to his allies, and captured by Cortez. The library contains 
books in all languages, dating from the present century, 
back four hundred years or more. It has no systematic ar- 
rangement or catalogue. The library building is an old 
convert which was confisicated for the purpose The iron 
fence, which encloses the edifice, is ornamented by marble 
busts of famous scientists, authors, and orators, and the 
plat of ground in front is graced by a beautiful bed of 
flowers. 

The Plaza Major, as before said, is the center of the 
city in every sense of the word. It is fully one thousand 
feet square and is beautifully laid out. In the center is the 
Zocalo, screened with groups of orange-trees, shrubbery, 
and flowers. Here, in a circular music stand, the military 
band gives concerts four times weekly, in the afternoon and 
evening. At the western side of the Zocalo is the flower 
market, whose perfume fills the atmosphere and whose 
beauty delights the eye. The market is presided over by 
pretty native girls, who importune you to buy the choice 
nosegays, and seldom is their entreaty in vain. The 
ancient Aztec was an intense lover of flowers; he used them 
in all his ceremonies, even to those of the sacrifice; the 
modern native has lost none of his affection for these 
beautiful emblems, and uses them on every occasion. The 
most abundant flowers seen here are red and white roses, 
pinks of various colors, heliotrope, violets, poppies, both 
white and scarlet, and forget-me-nots. These flowers are 
artistically arranged in large bouquets, with a backing of 
maiden-hair ferns, and are sold for fifteen cents each. The 
price, however, is not fixed, and one may easily purchase a 
bouquet for half the sum first named. 



92 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

The principal market-place is situated near the plaza, 
at its southwest end, a block away. Sunday morning is the 
great market day of the week, the same as in all Mexican 
cities. Each line of trade has its special location, and the 
confusion of tongues, while bartering is going on, would 
silence the New York Stock Exchange. Occasionally, in 
the market, one will witness the Mexican style of saluting 
each other. This they do by embracing, and patting each 
other on the back in a most demonstrative manner. This 
seems rather a queer salutation for individuals of the same 
sex, 

A tourist soon becomes acquainted with the topogra- 
phy of the city. The chief business street leads from the 
railroad depot to the Plaza Major. The most fashionable 
street for shopping is that known as the Street of the Silver- 
smiths. This is nearly a mile in length, and of good width. 
The streets are mostly named from churches or convents 
standing on or near them. One street is named the 
Street of the Holy Ghost, after the church of the same 
name, situated near by. The Calle de San Francisco is 
another of the business thoroughfares devoted to busi- 
nesses of all kinds. The streets near the Plaza Major, 
and Alameda, are lighted by electricity, other portions of 
the city proper by gas, and the outlying districts by oil- 
fed lanterns. One object, always observable in the city at 
night, is the lantern of the policeman placed in the middle 
of the junction of the streets, with the policeman himself 
standing beside it. The police system of the city is 
excellent, and very few street brawls happened during our 
six weeks' sojourn. 

The shops of Mexico, instead of having the name of the 
proprietor over the entrance, as in the United States, are 
all named; some of these names are worthy of record, and 



HOTELS AND THEATRES. 93 

I give below a list of some of the most important, which 
were situated near our hotel: 

La Ciudad de Afexico. The City of Mexico. 
Abarrotcs por Mayor y Menor. Bargains for better or worse. 

Al Frogreso. To Progress. 
Las Fabricas de Francia. The Manufactures of France. 

El Tigi'e. The Tiger. 
Providencia. Providence. 
Los Dos Amicos. The Two Friends. 
La Diadema. The Diadem. 
El Nacio7iaL The National. 
Botica de Porta Galli. Drug store of the Gate of Heaven. 
This last is very appropriate, for the contents of a drug 
store. 

The hotels of Mexico will not compare favorably with 
those of the States. The Iturbide is the largest and most 
fashionable in the city, and is patronized by .nearly all 
tourists. It is a spacious building, situated near the Plaza 
Major, and once served as the palace of Augustin de 
Iturbide, the first Emperor of Mexico. All the chamber- 
maids in the hotels here are men, and very good servants 
they make. In the selection of a sleeping apartment the 
tourist should select one facing the east or south, thus se- 
curing an abundance of sunshine. 

Regarding places of amusement, the city contains 
several theatres, and a circus. The best and most fashion- 
able theatre is the Teatro Nacional, built in 1844, having a 
seating capacity of three thousand persons. Here are 
held the commencement exercises of the military school of 
Chapultepec. A good opera company is engaged for a short 
annual season, but French, Spanish, and Italian Opera can 
be seen here the year round. Three other theatres, the 
Arbeu, the Hidalgo, and the Coliseo Viejo, are very good; 
there are also several others, open Sundays, but those are 



94: A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

rather to be avoided than sought after. There is a spacious 
bull-ring at the northern end of the paseo, where exhibitions 
are given to crowded houses on Sundays and festal days. 
The sport, however, is cruel and barbaric, and, although 
we patronized it on one occasion, yet the tourist had better 
forego this brutal entertainment. At the buU-fight which 
we attended, several horses were butchered, four or 
five bulls killed, and several men nearly lost their lives. 

One of the most admirable establishments in the city 
is the Monte de Piedad (signifying "The Mountain of 
Mercy'"'). It was founded by Count Regla, the owner of 
the Real del Monte silver mine, more than a century ago, 
who gave- the sum of ^300,000 for the purpose, in order 
that the poor might obtain advances on personal property 
at a low and reasonable rate of interest. Any article de- 
posited for this purpose is valued by two disinterested per- 
sons, and three-fourtljs of its value is advanced. If the owner 
ceases to pay the mterest on the loan the article is kept 
six months longer, when it is exposed for sale at a marked 
price. After six months more have passed, if the article is 
not disposed of, it is sold at public auction, and all that 
is realized above the sum which was advanced, together 
with the interest, is placed to the credit of the original 
owner. This sum, if not called for in a given time, reverts 
to the bank. The establishment has also a safety vault, 
where all sorts of valuables are stored for safe keeping. 
One dollar is the smallest amount- loaned, and ten thousand 
is the largest. 

The Museo Nacional, situated in the rear of the national 
palace, is of surpassing interest to the naturalist and anti- 
quarian, and we visited it soon after our arrival. As we 
entered, after ascending two flights of stairs, the first thing 
we saw was a gigantic cast of the Megatherium Cuvieri. In 
this room were also a few minerals. To the left of this 



RARE SPECIMENS. 95 

room we entered the Department of Palaeontology. Here 
were displayed a number of very well preserved fossils, but, 
curiously enough, there were none from Mexico, all of them 
being from European and North American beds. At the 
farther end of the room were a number of plaster casts of 
extinct animals, mostly Plesiosauri and other saurians of the 
Jurassic and Liassic periods. To the right of the entrance 
was the Mineralogical Department. Here, for the first time 
we saw specimens from Mexico. The marbles, agates, 
precious metals, calcites, etc., were well represented. 
The arrangement was according to Dana, and the labels, 
all handsomely printed with the scientific and common 
names, locality, and formula, numbered according to his 
system. Larger labels were attached to the backs of the 
cases, and designated to what group the specimens be- 
longed. In the center of the hall was a gigantic stalactite, 
four feet in length, from the "Gra/a de Cor.ahuamilpa.''' 

In the next hall beyond, we came to the Department 
of Mammalogy. The collection was fairly well represented 
by a number of carefully mounted specimens. Here we 
saw a very good specimen of the rare Hyrax capoisis, en- 
closed in a handsome glass case. This animal, from 
Australia, is exceedingly rare, but few museums possessing 
specimens of it, and the Museo Nacional is to be congrat- 
ulated in possessing so fine and rare a specimen. 

To the right was a case of Anthropoid apes; beyond 
this a case containing representatives of the Family Felidae. 
Here were several fine specimens of Felis pardalis, Felis 
onca, and Felis concolor, all from Mexico. We next came 
to a case containing afine collection of the Skunks, Among 
these a good series of the Mephites mephitica and Mephites 
macrura. Other specimens of note in this case were Liitra 
fulma and Galictis vittata. In the next case were repre- 
sentatives of the domestic cat, Felis domestica, and in the 



96 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

center of the hall a good sized horizontal case in which a 
number of foreign and native animals were displayed. At 
the end of the hall was a finely mounted specimen of the 
Asiatic Elephant, Elephas indie us. In the flat cases over 
the central ones were arranged a number of insects, quite 
well preserved, but poorly named. 

The next hall was devoted to the Department of Orni- 
thology, and here we found the richest collection- of the 
museum. Arranged in wall cases about the hall were 
several hundred birds, native and exotic. Among the 
native birds were Audubon's Warbler, Sumichrast's Jay, 
Mexican Tohee, .and a number of the birds obtained by us 
at Orizaba and San Andres. Among the exotic birds were 
the rare New Zealand Parrot, Strigops habroptiluSy and the 
beautiful Bird of Paradise, Paradisia reggiana. Also the 
Golden Turkey, Meleagris ocellata. Nearly all the larger 
orders were represented, forming, upon the whole, a very 
good generic collection. A few eggs and nests were taste- 
fully arranged in the lower compartments of several cases. 
Most of the birds were correctly named. In this hall were 
also several mamme-ls and a few cases of insects. 

The next hall was devoted to Anthropology. Here 
was a case of skulls (casts), showing the form of the 
head of different races; a case containing pieces of tanned 
human skin, and several alcoholic specimens of human 
foeta; two cases of human skulls with a few photos, show- 
ing types of Mexican natives; a skull in a case showing 
different parts, a very good skeleton, and two mummies. 

In the next hall, beyond, was exhibited a fairly good 
collection of reptiles, fishes, etc. This collection was 
represented by a number of alcoholic and stuffed specimens. 
Here I saw better stuffed fishes than are to be seen in many 
of our museums in the United States, 

The alcoholic collection was very neatly and tastefully 



ANTIQUITIES. 97 

arranged. In the central cases were a number of exotic 
shells, mostly wrongly named. The hall devoted to the 
Mollusca and lower invertebrates was in the worst condition 
of all, as regards naming. In the Mollusca such errors as 
the following were common: 

Cyp. talpa for C. exanthema. 

Murex erinaceus " M. salleaniis. 

" inflatns " M. ramosus. 

<■' haustellum " M. brajidaris. 
" triqueter " M. erinaceus. 

The most ludicrous error was the following, in which 
Murex brassica was named for a bivalve, Phina squamosa. 
The shells were wholly without systematic arrangement, 
bivalves and univalves being mixed in hopeless confusion. 
The remainder of the collection consisted of mounted 
crustaceans, sea-urchins, star-fishes, corals, and alcoholic 
specimens of the lower types. In one of the cases was a 
very good collection of glass models, by Blaschka, of sea- 
cucumbers, sea-anemones, and other invertebrates. Upon 
the whole, the museum was very tastefully arranged, and 
reflected great credit upon its curator. 

On the ground floor was the hall of antiquities, and 
here reposed the remains of the ancient Aztec temples and 
their gods. Among the most interesting antiquities were 
the sacrificial stone, the Palenque cross, and the calendar 
stone. This calendar stone was an exceeding curious and 
remarkable example of Aztec sculpture. It represented 
the principal division of the Aztec year into days, months, 
etc. It has been written upon more extensively than any 
other single example of ancient workmanship. It was for 
a time imbedded in the western tower of the cathedral, but 
was removed a short time ago and now rests in its ap- 
propriate place in the National Museum. Among the other 
noted sculptures were Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of 



98 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

war; Quetzalcoatl, the coiled serpent, and Chaacmol, the 
tigerking, discovered by Dr. Le Plongeon, in Yucatan, 
some years ago. At the organization of the national gov- 
ernment, in 1867, a sum of five hundred dollars per month 
was voted for the expenses of this institution. It publishes 
a bulletin called the Anales del Museo Nacional de Mexico, 
the first number of which appeared in ISVY, containing 
articles by Senores Mendoza, Sanchez, Orozco y Berra, and 
Barcena. They have appeared with regularity, and con- 
stitute a most valuable addition to the literature of 
Anahuac. 



CHAPTER IX. 

One of the pleasantest excursions in the environs of the 
capital is to the Castle of Chapultepec, or "Hill of the 
Grasshopper." It is situated at the end of the Paseo de la 
Reforma. About Chapultepec are gathered more of the 
grand memories of this interesting country than any other 
spot in America. Here the Aztec kings deposited their 
treasures and made their homes. Here, also, the ill-fated 
Maximillian established the most grand and sumptuous 
court of the nineteenth century. The castle occupies a 
commanding position, standing upon a rocky hill some two 
hundred feet in height, rising abruptly above the marshy 
plain. It is encircled by a beautiful park composed of old 
cypress trees, draped in gray Spanish moss. We ascend 
the hill to the castle by a well-shaded road, formed of 
wood. On the side of this road, about half-way between 
base and summit, the tourist is shown a curious cave in 
which the Aztec kings were supposed to have deposited 
their treasures. In the grove of cypress at the base of the 
hill, one is shown a huge old tree, fifty feet in circumfer- 
ence, under which Montezuma I was wont to enjoy its 
cooling shade. There is plenty of evidence to show that 
when the Spaniard first came to the country, the plain of 
Anahuac was covered with a noble forest of these trees, 
together with oaks and cedars. 

In the cypress grove, at 
the foot of the hill, I found, in 
the base of a rotton tree, a ^B 
large colony of Helix aspersa, 
a land snail which was not 
supposed, up to this time^ to inhabit Mexico. Many of 




HELIX ASPEESA, MULL. 



100 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

them were found in trees twenty feet above the ground. 
A Httle stream just outside of the grounds was tenanted 
by innumerable specimens of Physa osculans and Planorbis 
te7iuis. 

According to history, here stood the palace of the 
ancient Aztec kings; and here has also been the abiding 
place of the Mexican rulers, from the time of the first 
Spanish viceroys to that of President Diaz. At the base of 
the hill, at the eastern foot, bursts forth the spring from 
which the city is in part supplied with water, through the 
San Cosme aqueduct, a heavy, arched structure, covered 
with moss. The castle is now used as the "West Point" 
of Mexico, being the great military school wherein the 
officers of the army are educated under the best foreign in- 
structors. Over three hundred students are quartered here, 
representing the best families of Mexico. The discipline, 
however, is anything but good, and the drill exhibitions, in 
the afternoon, would thoroughly disgust a West Pointer. 

This spot is noted for a number of decisive historical 
events. Here, in 184*7, the steep hill, though bravely de- 
fended, was stormed by a mere handful of Americans in the 
American-Mexican war. In the rear of Chapultepec, and 
less than two miles away, are the battle fields of Molino 
del Rey and Churubusco, both victories for the Americans. 
Both these battles, however, have been declared needless, 
as the two positions could have been turned. Near Molino 
del Rey, the Mexicans have erected a monument to the 
memory of their comrades. The view from the lofty ram- 
parts is the finest in the valley of Mexico. From here the 
valley of Anahuac is seen to be an elevated plain about 
thirty-five by forty five miles in extent, its altitude being a 
triflle less than eight thousand feet above the sea. This 
view embraces the City of Mexico, with its countless spires, 
domes, and public buildings, the grand paseo leading to the 



PEOPLE OF MEXICO. 101 

city, its widespread environs, the church of Guadalupe, the 
village-dotted plain, stretching away in every direction, the 
distant lakes burnished by the sun's rays, and the back- 
ground toward the east of the two snow-clad mountains. 

On the left of Chapultepec lies the suburban village of 
Tacubaya, where the wealthy citizens of the capital have 
their summer residences, many of which are very elegant. 
These are thrown open to strangers on certain .days, to ex- 
hibit their collections of rare and beautiful objects of art. 
As the tourist leaves Chapultepec, by a narrow road wind- 
ing through a grove of noble trees, attention is called to the 
ancient inscriptions upon the rocks at the eastern base of 
the hill near the roadside. They are in half relief, and are 
graven on the natural rock. As yet, no one has been able 
to decipher their meaning. 

Of the twelve million people comprising the popula- 
tion of Mexico, about one-third are pure natives, one-sixth 
of the remainder Europeans, and the balance Mestizos, or 
half-breeds. The natives are of a brown or olive color, and are 
beardless, or nearly so; they are of medium height, stout 
or corpulent, have muscular thighs, a broad chest, and rather 
slender arms; they are not very strong, but are very endur- 
ing. The native retains his national dress, which consists 
of short, wide drawers of cotton cloth, or deer-skin, reach- 
ing to the knee, and a sort of frock of coarse woolen cloth, 
fastened around the hips by a belt; a straw hat and sandals 
complete his dress. The women wrap themselves twice 
around with a piece of woolen stuff, which is girded around 
the waist by a broad band, and reaches to her bare feet. 
In addition she wears a wide garment, calleil a huipile, 
closed on all sides, which reaches to her knees. Her hair 
is wound around her head in a roll and tied with a brightly 
colored ribbon, or hangs down in two plaits. Many wear 



102 



A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



ear-rings and necklaces for ornaments. These natives 
(peons) are the working class of Mexico. 

Our next class is the European, or Creole, the con- 
querors of Mexico. They are gentle and refined, yet pas- 
sionate, and very courteous toward each other. They make 
delightful companions They are fond of gaming, and ar- 
dent admirers of the fair sex. Many of the women are ex- 
ceedingly handsome, having dark eyes and hair. The 
women, however, are kept mostly shut up in the houses, 
and travellers rarely get a glimpse of them. They are ex- 
cellent needle-women, and spend a great part of their time 
in this way. In their dress this class favor the French and 
conform to the latest Parisian styles. They wear the 
characteristic head-dress of the Spaniards, the mantilla. 

The third race, the Mestizos, or 
mixed race, is the off-spring of white 
father and native mother. They are 
splendid horsemen, and seem to com- 
bine the best characteristics of the 
two races They wear, when dressed 
up, a white plaited shirt, wide trous- 
ers of white or colored material, 
fastened about the waist by a brilliant 
girdle, brown leather gaiters, and a 
broad felt hat, or sombrero, with a 
silver band about it. The rancJieros, 
or peasants, are distinguished by the 
open trousers of leather, ornamented 
with silver buttons, and white drawers 
underneath. A colored handkerchief about the neck and a 
serape, complete the outfit. The women wear loose, em- 
broidered chemises, and a woolen skirt; they wear no 
stockings, although occasionally one is seen with slippers, 
and a rebozo, or a narrow, long shawl drawn over the head 




AN ICE CREAM VENDEE. 




LATE xn. MONTEZUMA'S TREE, CHAPULTEPEC. 



PEOPLE OF MEXICO. 103 

and covering the bare arms. The mestizos constitute the 
majority of farmers (ra;2t-/?^/-^i-), and mule-drivers {arrieros.) 
They ' are very pleasant and are destined, some day, to 
rule Mexico. 

Another type of the Mexicans are the Leporos. These 
are the worst type of Mexicans, combining, as they do, the 
worst vices known to man. They are black, have long and 
unkempt hair, and are alive with vermin;, they are said to 
abhor water, seldom change their clothes, and are, upon 
the whole, disgusting and dangerous citizens of the Repub- 
lic. At one time they were the terror of Mexico, but good 
government is now reducing their number greatly. They 
will steal, murder, pick your pocket, or commit any other 
of the acts known to creatures of the criminal class. 

Another commo-n Mexican sight is the honest aquador, 
or water-carrier, who, with his leathern armor and earthern 
jars, is seen on almost every Mexican street. All the 
water of the city is brought in aqueducts, and is to be ob- 
tained only at fountains. The aquador is then an absolute 
necessity, and is made welcome by all. He sells his jar of • 
water for five cents, and seems to do a thriving business. 

Animal life about the valley of Anahuac was very 
meagre. Of the Mollusca, Helix aspersa, Succinea cam- 
pesiris (Lake Texcoco), Liinncea attenuata (Lake Chalco), 
Planorbis tenuis Physa osculans (all lakes), Valvata humer- 
alis (all lakes); of the reptiles and batrachians, Sceloporics 
microlepidotus, S. scalar is, Eutcenia insigniariim, and Am- 
blystoma Mexicanum were common. This last, commonly 
called the axolotl (pronounced ah-ho-lotl) is eaten by the 
poorer classes; its flesh is white and resembles that of an 
eel; it is quite savory and wholesome. Of birds, we saw 
few wild, save the ducks. 



CHAPTER X. 

On the 15th of April we left Mexico, by train, for Ame- 
cameca, from there to make the ascent of the volcano of Popo- 
catepetl. After leaving the city, the road skirted :;he LaVega 
canal, and soon struck across the plain bordering lakes Tex- 
coco and Chalco. We soon passed the former on the left, 
and the latter on the right, and then encountered an up- 
ward grade at the base of the mountains. Several stops 
were made at pretty villages. At one of these villages we 
were beseiged by a multitude of beggars, the pest of Mexi- 
co. At five o'clock in the afternoon we reached Ameca- 
rueca. This is a town of ten thousand inhabitants, situated 
about 7,600 feet above the sea. In the center of the town 
was the plaza, where a low, circular wall of stone enclosed 
a small space, planted with flowers, a basin filled with 
water flowing from a fountain in the center, and a few white 
•stone pillars supported a capital, which formed the en- 
trance. Above these, and shading the garden, drooped a 
number of green willows. The square surrounding this bit 
of verdure was large, bounded on the west side, next the 
railroad, by the Casa Municipal, and on the east by the 
Cathedral, a large and well-preserved building. The streets 
of the town diverged from this center, lined with low houses 
of stone and adobe, of which the latter predominated, 
roofed with rough shingles, spiked on with long wooden 
pegs. Water from the mountains ran in little streams 
through the streets, and was diverted by small gutters to 
the houses for private use. 

The view of the two mountains from this town was 
grand, late in the afternoon. To the right and left, as far 
as the eye could reach, extended the mountain chain, and 



MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 105 

rising up in all their grandeur were the sister peaks. To 
the left was Ixtaccihuatl, its outline clearly defined against 
the sky, showing well the peculiar outlines which have 
caused it to be termed Za Mujer Blanco, or the White 
Woman. On the right rose Popocatepetl, a great white 
dome. The effect of the sun's declining rays resting on the 
snow, the massiveness of the mountains, the swift gather- 
ing twilight and the tolling of the bells in the little chapel 
on the Sacro Monte, made an impression upon us which 
will never be effaced. I can conceive of no grander sight 
on earth than that afforded by this mountain scenery, as 
seen from this quaint town. 

Next morning, at seven o'clock, we started for the 
volcano with five guides and carriers. The first part of 
our way T/ound among softly undulating slopes, yellow 
with barley, out of which projected here and there an 
ancient pyramid, planted with a crop also. By the road- 
side grew charming white thistles, and tall blue columbines. 
We crossed numerous small brooks and gorges. The as- 
pect soon changed to that of an Alpine pasture. Here 
were grassy pastures, flowering mosses, and cattle feeding 
Several small crosses were passed, indicating where some 
poor wretch had met a violent death, either from robbers or 
from some natural cause. Every few hundred feet we 
took the altitude with our aneroid barometer, for we had 
started out to take the altitude of this giant peak. Half 
way to the summit we obtained a magnificent view of the 
Mexican valley, looking down a wooded ravine. We soon 
entered the deep, solemn pine-woods, crossed a long ridge 
of land, and reached the Tlamacas ranch, 12,595 feet above 
the sea, where we were to spend the night. 

The ranch consisted of three sheds, situated in a little 
opening in the forest, at the base of the peak. In one of the 
sheds a cheerful fire was burning, and preparations being 



106 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

made for supper. Just before darkness settled down, I took 
my gun and searched for birds. But few were found, and 
those were the robin, bluebird, and several small warblers. 
The same birds were observed on Orizaba at the same 
relative height. A narrow platform- covered with straw 
served us for a bed and a saddle for a pillow, and with our 
feet to the fire we fell asleep, to dream of snow-slides, 
avalanches, and eruptions. 

We left the rancho at five in the morning, on horse- 
back, and rode three hours toilsomely over rocks of basalt 
and black sand. The poor animals suffered painfully, but 
we could not spare them, for we needed all our strength for 
the final struggle. At a point called Las Cruces, where a 
cross tops a ledge of black, jagged volcanic rock, we left 
them and proceeded on foot. The view from this point in 
the ascent was fine. Across was the form of Ixtaccihuatl, 
the White Woman, keeping us company in our ascent. 
The valley of Mexico could be seen in one direction, the 
valley of Puebla, and even the peak of Orizaba, 150 miles 
distant, in the other. Against this vast territory, our men 
and horses on the ledge of volanic rock at Las Cruces 
seemed like pigmies. We soon felt the effect of the thin- 
ness of the air, and were obliged to make frequent stops. 
The cool snow line was soon reached, and here we sat down 
and ate our lunch. Clouds presently filled up the valley 
with a symmetrically arranged pavement. 

At the snow-line more difficulties met us. We were 
always slipping and falling in the snow, and blood-marks 
were left frequently by our ungloved hands. Every step is 
now a calculation and an achievement. One calculates 
that he will allow himself a rest after ten, twenty, thirty or 
more steps, and how glad he is, when that calculation has 
been achieved, and he can rest for a few moments! The 
snow here is not dangerous; there are no crevasses to fall 



MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 107 

into, as in the Alps; it is only monotonous and fatiqning. 
The guides encouraged us with the adjuration, '' Poco 
a poco'' (little by little). Finally, with sore and aching 
limbs, we reached the crater, about eleven o'clock. 

It seemed easy to topple over the crater walls into the 
terrific chasm below. There was no warm comf rt coming 
from the steam below. All was frigidly cold. A slope of 
black sand descended some fifty feet to an inner edge, 
broken by rocks of porphyry, where a sheer precipice dropped 
a thousand feet to the bottom of the crater. Jets of 
steam spouted from a dozen sulfataras, or sources from- 
which the sulphur is extracted. The men who mine the 
sulphur (for Popocatepetl is a vast sulphur mine), live in 
caves at the bottom for a month at a time. They are 
lowered down by a windlass, or Malacate, and the sulphur 
is hoisted in bags by the same agent. The bags of sulphur 
are slid down a long groove in the snow to the neighbor- 
hood of the ranchero. A company, headed by General 
Sanchez Ochoa, the owner, has been formed to work the 
deposit more effectually, anr" to utilize the steam-power 
lying latent in the bottom of the crater. At the present 
moment the windlass was out of order, and we were not 
able to descend. The crater is nine hundred feet deep, and 
nearly one thousand feet wide at its greatest diameter. Its 
inner face is marked off in successive layers, representing 
the successive eruptions of the volcano. 

After a great deal of dangerous and fatiquing climbing, 
we at length reached the actual summit of the mountain, ly- 
ing to the southwest, and overlooking the State of Morelos, 
seven hundred feet higher than our resting place on the 
edge of the crater. We were now 17,523 feet above the 
sea. From what we could learn we were the first persons 
to actually reach this highest point, although the Glennie 
brothers were said to have attained nearly the same height, 



108 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

in 1827. From this high elevation the view was of surpass- 
ing grandeur, taking in the country for hundreds of miles. 
The view, however, was blurred and indistinct, on account 
of the many clouds floating by. Although the temperature 
was only 45*^ Fahr. , we did not suffer from the cold nearly 
as much as we did on the snow-field below. I suffered 
from none of the symptoms which caused me to desist from 
climbing on Orizaba, when within three hundred feet of the 
summit. Late in the afternoon we descended to Tlamacas, 
spent one more night there, and the next day rode back to 
Amecameca. 

Of all the Mexican mountains, Popocatepetl has re- 
ceived the most attention, and has been ascended in- 
numerable times. The heights usually given to it I be- 
lieve to be much too high. Our records showed that 
Orizaba, and not Popocatepetl, should be given first place 
among the mountains of Mexico. * A short stop v/as made 
at Amecameca, and then we returned to the City of Mexico. 

On the 29th of April we left Mexico for Toluca, situ- 
ated fifty miles from the city. The trip to Toluca leads , 
through some of the grandest scenery in the country, as well 
as taking the traveler over some of the most abrupt ascents 
in Mexico. After leaving the city, the road passes through 
a district devoted to the cultivation of the Maguey, the 
great pulque-producing plant. There are two kinds of 
this Maguey; the cultivated plant from which comes the 
pulque, and one, which grows wild in the desert parts of the 
country, and from which is distilled a coarse and highly 
intoxicating drink called mescal. But we are digressing; 
let us speak of our journey to Toluca. After passing 
Tacubaya, the road began to steadily ascend, the line curv- 
ing and twisting in and out to find a foothold upon the 
mountain. We passed Naucalpan and Rio Hondo, and 
the ascent became very steep. The bridge at Dos Rios was 



MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 109 

soon passed, a structure two hundred feet long and ninety 
feet high. The line was now constantly ascending, circling 
about the mountains and passing over several small bridges. 
Soon the passengers flocked to the rear platform to obtain 
a sight of the grand view afforded from this point. The 
glittering domes of the City of Mexico were seen in the 
distance; farther away, to the left, were seen the two large 
expanses of water, lakes Chalco and Texcoco, looking like 
burnished silver in the morning sunlight; far beyond, rising 
spectre-like, were the lonely peaks of Ixtaccihuatl and 
Popocatepetl. About them floated beautiful clouds, 
tinted in many colors by the sun's rays. Soon this was 
shut out by a tunnel, and for a time we saw nothing but 
cultivated fields and bare rocks. Here the natives had 
taken advantage of every spot, where there was a particle 
of earth, for agricultural purposes. 

At La Ciina, the summit, we reached the highest point, 
10,000 feet above the sea. A little farther on we reached 
Sdlazar, built on a plain, where a halt was made for ten 
minutes. Here the air was quite crisp, and one felt the 
need of thick wraps. Here, also, the beggars again assailed 
us, and during the entire ten minutes we were not for a 
moment out of sight of one of these mendicants. One, in 
particular, had an old, battered violin. He was blind, and 
was led about by a boy, probably his son. One does not 
like giving to these beggars, since so many of them are 
frauds, and prey upon the travellers in this way as a regular 
means of livelihood. The descent into the Toluca Valley 
now began. On our right a clear, babbling brook was 
seen, the headwaters of the river Lerma; this stream 
went leaping and dancing down the mountain, the track 
crossing it in several places. 

A short distance farther on, the beautiful valley of 
Toluca burst on our view. At the foot of the mountain the 



110 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

river Lerma was seen winding in and out; beyond was the 
green and fertile valley, dotted here and there with a 
hacienda; in the far distance was seen the great, black peak 
of the Nevado de Toluca, and at the foot of the mountain, 
the white walls of Toluca. Below us, and at our very feet, 
lay the little village of Ocoyoacac, a thousand feet below. 
Here the grade was terrific, and the line ran along in 
several horse-shoe shaped curves. Finally, the last curve 
was made, and the train steamed across the broad and fer- 
tile valley of Toluca. Very soon we passed a little village 
called La Gran Ciudad de Lcrjua, "The Great City of 
Lerma," which received its name in this way. During the 
16th century, a band of robbers made their headquarters 
here and for a time were the terror of travellers and mer- 
chants, but one Marten Roelin de Varejon finally broke 
them up, in 1613, and in return for this good work the king 
granted him any favor that he should ask; and he asked 
that the town might be called ''La Gran Ciudad de Lerma.^'' 
Soon the Lerma was crossed on a long bridge, the river 
here widening into a lake, and the line passed through 
large fields of corn and barley, and finally drew up in the 
ddpot at Toluca. From the d^pot a tram-car was taken, 
and we were soon landed in front of the best hotel in the 
City of Toluca, El Leon de Oro, the "Lion of Gold," so 
named from a gilt Lion on the corner of the hotel. Here 
we engaged rooms, a good wash was taken, supper eaten, 
and we were ready to inspect the city. 

Toluca, the capital of the State of Mexico, is a well- 
built and thriving city, containing about twenty-five 
thousand inhabitants, and situated at an elevation of 8,600 
feet above the sea. The municipal buildings and state 
capital are said to be the finest in the Republic. They face 
upon a delightful little plaza, which is adorned with several 
fine trees. The town is one of the oldest in the country, 



EXTINCT VOLCANO. Ill 

having been settled in 1533. Here activity and growth are 
manifest on every side. It has two large theatres, a 
spacious bull-ring, and a beautiful alameda, which is kept 
in good condition. Here is situated the "Yale College " of 
Mexico, the Instituto Literario, in which most of the lead- 
ing men of Mexico were educated. The institution has a 
large library and museum of natural history, together with 
a well-appointed gymnasium. Here may be seen the best 
and largest market in Mexico. It is all under cover, and 
each article has its appropriate place of sale; vegetables, 
fruits, meats, fish, flowers, pottery, baskets, shoes, and 
sandals, form the chief articles of trade. On general 
market day the spot is thronged with people from the sur-" 
rounding country, dressed in their picturesque native cos- 
tumes. 

Near Toluca is the extinct volcano of the same name, 
the crater of which forms a large lake, which is said to be 
fathomless. On the second day after .our arrival we essayed 
its ascent. We left Toluca at 5:30 a. m., in a tram-car for 
San Juan de las Hurtos. Here a guide and horses were 
procured. The first stage of the ascent was very interest- 
ing. The day was very hot, and as we passed through the 
woods everything was motionless, excepting the butterflies 
which lazily fluttered about. The scene when crossing the 
hills, behind San Juan, was most beautiful; the colors were 
intense, the prevailing tint a dark green, the sky of a 
deep blue. After passing through some cultivated fields, 
we entered a forest, which in the grandeur of its parts 
could not be exceeded. Early in the afternoon we arrived 
at the base of the cone. Here we left the horses and 
climbed up the steep and rocky crater-walls to the summit, 
which commanded a grand view of the surrounding country. 
The height of this mountain is not over 15,000 feet. 

We spent the night at an Alpine-looking cottage sit- 



112 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

uated in the midst of a pine forest, overlooking a deep ra- 
vine. Here we witnessed what very few tourists have the 
good fortune to see— the native in his primative home, sur- 
rounded by his family. As we entered the hut, we beheld 
an interesting scene. In the center of the hut a fire was 
burning, and supported upon four stones was a large 
earthern dish, upon which one of the native women was 
frying tortillas. Another woman near by was busily en- 
gaged in grinding corn. Opposite her sat a woman nursing 
a small child. In a corner was a goat, dog, and several 
chickens. Several men and boys were standing near, all 
busily engaged in watching the woman frying the tortillas. 

One room serves the native for every purpose, and as 
witnessed here, is often shared by pigs and poultry. The 
natives do not eat meat half a dozen times a year. A few 
wild fruits are added to their humble fare of tortillas, and 
that suffices. A mat serves for a bed and a blanket for an 
overcoat, and the native seems very content. They 
supply the towns with poultry, charcoal, nuts, baskets, 
pottery, and a few vegetables; often walking twenty-five or 
thiity miles over hills and plains with a load of over a 
hundred pounds on their backs, in order to reach a market 
where a dollar, or at most two, is received for their two or 
three days' journey. Most of the money made by the 
natives is paid to the Catholic priests for pseudo-indulgen- 
ces. On the following day we returned to the City of 
Mexico. 

The avifauna of Toluca was identical with that of 
Popocatepetl. Warblers, robins, bluebirds, hawks, creep- 
ers, and wrens predominated. Insects were also numerous, 
but mollusks scarce. 

On the 25th of April we again left the City of Mexico 
for Amecameca, this time to ascend, and to take barometric 



IX TA CCIHA UTL. 113 

G 

measurements of Ixtaccihuatl. On the day following we 
started with three guides and carriers. 

Our road was at first the same as that upon which we 
travelled on our way to Popocatepetl, but soon branched off 
to the left, and continued in a direction at right angles to 
that road. We soon entered a path bordered on either side 
by hedges of trees and shrubs, and with a viaduct on our 
right, through which a stream of clear water was running. 
The path was very stony and the riding uncom'^ortable, but 
the scene about us interesting enough to compensate for 
this. The trees, in one spot, met above, forming a perfect 
arbor. 

This path led to a wider one which crossed a stream, 
and then began to gently ascend. As we turned a corner, 
a beautiful field of green grass met our view on the left. 
The road soon became very steep, and difficult to ascend. 
By the roadside were many beautiful flowers, and we were 
tempted now and then to dismount and pick some of them. 
We soon entered a thick forest of pine and spruce, and for 
a time the scenery was much like that on Popocatepetl. 
When about half way up we passed, on our right, an ex- 
tinct crater with shattered and jagged walls, looking as if 
the volcano had given one last eruption and blown the 
crater wall away. Birds were very numerous here, bat were 
the same as those seen on the other mountains. 

About the middle of the day we came to a position in 
the road which skirted a deep gorge on the left, and here 
the scenery was grand. Way off on the other side were 
huge, basaltic columns, standing out in bas-relief against 
the face of the lava field. The lava fields here were ter- 
raced, the terraces running back almost as far as the eye 
could reach. Over one part of this field a little stream was 
coursing, and as it reached the last terrace, dropped to the 
valley below in a beautiful waterfall several hundred feet in 



114 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

height. On the sides of the gorge, forests of pine and 
spruce were growing. All in all, this was about as wild 
and grand a scene as one could well imagine. At one point 
the path skirted the edge of the precipitous sides of the 
gorge, and was very narrow, the gorge on the left and a 
high wall of rock on the right. 

We soon came in full sight of the cold, snow-capped 
peak, and dreary and desolate it did indeed look, but very 
grand and sublime in the light of the late afternoon. We 
now continued at right angles to the peak, and soon struck 
another patch of pine woods; crossed a little stream, des- 
cended the mountain a hundred feet or more, and prepared 
our camp in a sheltering cave, formed by the lava as it 
flowed from the crater. We were now at a height of 13,220 
feet above the sea. 

While supper was under way a thunder-storm came up, 
and we witnessed a royal battle of the elements. The 
thunder rolled among the crags of the mountain, and the 
lightning was almost blinding. The storm was so fierce 
that we ceased eating until the worst of it was over. In 
the midst of the storm a blinding flash descended, a deaf- 
ning peal of thunder followed, and we beheld a large tree 
cut in twain by the lightning bolt. We could'plainly see 
the electric bolt leave the clouds above and strike the tree, 
from which a little column of blue smoke arose, and the 
stricken half of the tree fell to the ground with a crash. 
After the storm was over, I descended to the stricken tree 
and found its stump black and burnt, and the tree cut in 
two as clean as if done with an axe. 

A snowstorm followed this war of the elements, and we 
were treated to one of those rare sights, of seeing, far away, 
on the opposite mountain, the ground gradually become 
white, but not being able to discern a single flake in the 
air. 



HUGE GLACIER. 115 

At an early hour on the day following, we mounted our 
horses to complete the ascent. The first part of the way 
was through a pine forest, but soon this was left behind, 
and we came to a rocky path where the progress was very 
difficult. Signs of a glacier in the vicinity were soon seen, for 
on either side of us were large moraines. Just before we 
reached the snow line the horses were left, and we con- 
tinued on foot. Our path now ran along the crest of a ridge 
of lava jutting out from the mountain. On either side of 
us was a ravine, with a stream running down from the snow 
above. Very soon we came to the snow line, which was 
found to be a huge glacier, its surface quite smooth, and 
both difficult and dangerous to walk over. In various 
places there were glacial tables formed by the ice melting 
beneath a large stone, and leaving the latter suspended in 
mid air on a small pyramid of ice. These tables were con- 
tinually falling over and being formed again. On every 
side deep fissures were seen cutting across the mountain in 
almost every direction. 

The whole mountain was seen to be covered with a 
vast field of ice some 50 to 100 feet in depth, completely 
shrouding the summit. Across this we novs directed our 
steps in a zig-zag course, to avoid the deep barrancas (cre- 
vasses). In many places the guides (but two of them made 
the ascent over the snow-fields with us) were obliged to 
cut steps for our feet. As we had experienced no difficulty 
on any of the other mountains from slipping, we had not 
brought foot swaths with us, and we now found that 
th^y would have lessened the danger to a great extent. 

As we ascended higher the danger became more and 
more apparent, and in many places we climbed up with our 
faces almost touching ihe ice. Several bad slips were made, 
but we reached a point some seventy-five yards from the 
summit in safety. Here we found ourselves blocked by 



116 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

a large and impassable fissure, cutting directly across the 
mountain. The guides assured us that it would be impos- 
sible to reach the highest point, and we were therefore 
obliged to be content with our present elevation. 

The aneroid indicated a height of 16,700 feet, which, 
added to the 75 yards (225 feet), made a total height of 
16,925 feet. The thermometer registered 32°, and the air 
was exceedingly cold. From the summit we could see 
Popocatepetl off to the south, rising up like a great, white 
dome; way down the valley was the town of Amecameca, 
and over all floated a mass of white, fleecy clouds. 

The descent to the cave was undertaken with but one 
mishap, and this was when one of our number slipped and 
nearly fell into a deep crevass. The cave was reached, 
however, without serious accident, and late in the evening 
we arrived in Amecameca. Ixtaccihuatl is the only one of 
the three giant volcanoes of Mexico, which partakes of the 
full dangers of Alpine climbing. In the Alps, travellers are 
tied to the guides by ropes, which prevents any one from 
being lost by falling into a crevass. Ladders and additional 
ropes are also carried. With us, however, nothing of the 
kind was taken, and so erroneous had been the reports con- 
cerning this mountain that foot-swaths and other needful 
articles were not taken, as they were not needed on the 
other mountains. The mountain bears evidence of having 
been, at one time, the giant of Mexican volcanoes, and was 
much higher than at present. The glacier has been named 
the " Porfirio Diaz Glacier" in honor of the President of 
the Mexican- Republic. On our return to Mexico, I found 
that my eyes had been very badly affected by the dazzling 
sunlight on the ice and by the excessive mental strain, and for 
several days I was confined to the hotel on account of them. 

The fauna and flora of Ixtaccihuatl was precisely that 
of Popocateptl, No mollusks were found, however, and 
but few birds seen. 



CHAPTER XI. 

April 30th we again left the capital to explore the lit- 
tle known regions in the neighborhood of Patzcuaro, and 
the volcano of Jorullo. Our journey was by the same road 
which we took for Toluca. After leaving the latter place 
the road crossed the Toluca Valley, and passed through the 
Ixtlahuaca Tunnel. At Flor de Maria we secured a good 
dinner, costing seventy-five cents. From Flor de Maria 
we passed over a flat country, passed the gold workings of 
El Oro, at Tultenango, the silver district of Tlalpujahua, 
and entered Zopilote canon, along the precipitous sides of 
which a space had been blasted just large enough for the 
track. Above us hung great masses of granite, rising up 
hundreds of feet; below dashed a beautiful streahi, which 
in one spot formed a waterfall of great beauty. The down 
grade was very steep, and we entered the valley of Solis at 
good speed. This valley was covered with brilliantly 
colored flowers, presenting a very attractive scene. Mar- 
avatio, a town of five thousand inhabitants, was soon 
reached, after which we passed over a rather flat region, 
following the windings of the Lerma River. Toward 
Acambaro the scenery was very beautiful, the river being 
lined with graceful cypress trees, festooned with Spanish 
moss. From Acambaro we skirted the south shore of lake 
Cuitzeo for twenty miles. The scene here was very 
picturesque; the wall of rugged mountains in the distance, 
the broad sheet of water, dotted here and there with 
islands, green with a semi-tropical verdure, and the quaint 
costumes of the people, made a very pleasing picture. 
Darkness settled over us as we reached Morelia, 
capital of the State of Michoacan, called by its Spanish 



118 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

founders Valladolid, but renamed by the Mexicans, after 
the revolution of 1810, Morelia, in honor of the patriot 
Morelos. This city is well known as being one of the most 
beautiful of the Republic. 

At 10:15 p. M. we reached the little d^pot at Patzcuaro, 
situated about two miles from the town, which was reached 
by a rambling diligence. The road from the d^pot to the 
town was paved with small boulders, which nearly shook 
our coach to pieces. No sort of torture could be greater 
than this, in the shaky old stage coach. We arrived at the 
Fonda Concordia about an hour and a half later, and se- 
cured a good room, and also a cup of coffee, an omelet, and 
some fruit. 

Patzcuaro is situated two hundred and seventy-four 
miles from Mexico, — at an elevation of 7,200 feet above the 
sea, — and lies in a hollow, two miles from the lake of the 
same name, which is only visible from certain elevations in 
the town. If it lay in full view of the lake, it would have ; 
one of the most beautiful situations possible. The town is 
primitive and solid, and as yet very little affected by inter- 
course with the outside world. It has a large plaza, 
shaded by mountain ash trees, and surrounded by arcades 
and colonnades, in which are the shops of the merchants. 
The roofs of the town are tiled, and most of the houses, 
being of one story, have projecting cornices of wood, with 
supporting beams. The town is irregular and hilly, but all 
paved very roughly. On the highest elevation is a plaza, — 
the third in the town,^ — planted with noble trees, and 
fronted by the grim walls of an old monastery. Every- 
where are signs of a former haughty ecclesiastical denomi- 
nation, now scattered and in contempt. In the lower plaza 
is situated the market, where, as is common with Mexican 
markets, — everything manufactured in the immediate neigh- 
borhood can be purchased .It has been prophesied that at no 




LAKE PATZCUARO. 119 

distant day, this town will be one of the most favored 
tourist resorts in Mexico. 

The lake of Patzcuaro is noted for 
its beauty, even though situated in a 
district where nature has excelled her- 
self in the production of magnificent 
scenery. At this high altitude, among 
the mountains of the ancient Tarascan 
empire, is found this lovely sheet of 
water, some twenty miles long by ten 
SCENE IN THE MARKET, ^idc, aud intcrsperscd with islands, 
most of which are inhabited by a hardy race of fishermen. 
The water of the lake is very clear, and of unknown depth. 
The sportsman can find here many species of water fowl 
common to the North, besides many other varieties. 

• From the top of a hill, three-quarters of a mile from 
the town, a magnificent view of the lake was obtained. 
The hills surrounding the lake were under cultivation, 
dotted here and there by a little village, of which as many 
as sixteen could be counted. The lake can be compared 
with but one locality with which I am acquainted, — that 
of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. 

Late in the forenoon I took my gun, and in company 
with Prof. H. visited the lake to see what it contained in 
the faunal line. We procured a boat and a pilot, and 
started to survey the shores. After poling through a small 
patch of clear water, we struck into a clump of reeds which 
lined the shore for some distance. In these reeds I shot 
several specimens of the Bi colored Blackbird. As we 
emerged from the thickest of the reeds, I noticed a flock of 
ducks resting quietly upon the water. Motioning to the 
native to go ahead slowly, I cocked both barrels of my gun 
and just before the boat emerged from the reeds, let drive 
both barrels at them. 



1J0 A NAfURjiLTST IN MEXICO 

J ust as I was about to order the boatman to paddle 

...id the spot where the dead ducks lay, I saw a single 

>^ eck, for such these ducks were, winging his way 

.lu mvt. Unsuspicious ot danger, he drew near, and 
Mil .is I raised my gun to my shoulder, he merely swerved 
a iiifle to one side. As I fired, he fell with a resounding 
splash into the water. 

Our boatman now turned toward the west, and paddled 
toward an island some distance away. On the lake 
we saw numbers of canoes plying too and fro between the 
north and south shores. What was very peculiar about 
these canoes, was the fact that they were built on almost 
identically the plan of those used by the natives of the 
South Sea Islands, and I could almost imagine myself 
among those famous islands, as canoe after canoe was 
rapidly paddled across the lake. The boatmen rest on their 
knees in the bottom of the canoes, and use the paddle 
alternately with the right and left hand. One of these 
large canoes, I noticed, was manned entirely by women, 
who seemed to be able to propel the canoe along quite 
as rapidly as their stronger brothers and husbands. 

I soon caught sight of a stake ahead, upon which were 
resting a number of birds. We slowly approached, and 
just as they started to fly I hastily singled out one and 
fired, bringing him to a stand in a hurry. It proved to be 
the Least Bittern [^Botaurus exilis), and was a valuable ad- 
dition to our bag. A flock of ducks, probably Ring-necks, 
came over at this moment, and I let drive two barrels at 
them, but missed. A few hundred yards further on we 
came to the island. As we approached, a commotion was 
observed in the water, and a snake was seen to glide 
swiftl}' and noiselessly away. I quickly shot it; on picking 
it up we found it to be a large species of water-snake 
{Eutoenia insigniarum). 



MOLLUSKS. 121 

As we pushed our boat in among the reeds bordering 
the island, a great commotion was created in the water, and 
a number of these snakes were seen to swim away. The 
boat was securely fastened to the shore, and we started to 
explore this small island. This was of but small extent, 
containing less than half an acre; it was once used as a 
place of worship, and the remains of a church could still be 
seen. It was covered with low bushes and cacti; among the 
roots of the cacti I found several dead shells of Glandina, 
and from the rocks bordering the lake I picked several 
shells, but not a living thing was to be found on the island 
except the snakes, shells, and a single lizard, which was 
seen running up the trunk of a tree. 

Among the shells found in the lake were many speci- 
mens of Physa osculans (this proved 
to be a new variety and was named 
var. Patzcuarejisis by Mr. H. A. 
Pilsbry), a handsome little Valvata 

PHYSA /- rr 7 t \ i i r PLAXOEBIS 

OSCULANS. \^' fnimeralis) and a number of tenuis. 
specimens of Planorbis tenuis, Phil. , var. Boucardi, C. & F. 
On our return I shot a handsome specimen of the White- 
faced Glossy Ibis (^Plegades guarai{na),dind an American Coot. 
But a single day was spent in Patzcuaro, where we se- 
cured horses and a mozo, or servant, and started on our 
journey to the volcano of Jorullo. We left Patzcuaro early 
in the morning, by a steep path which led into a dusty 
road. For several miles the road was over a rolling 
country, well under cultivation. About fifteen miles from 
Patzcuaro I shot a couple of birds, whose habits resembled 
those of the robin. They were the Chamaeospiza torquata, 
a somewhat rare and very interesting bird. It very much 
resembles a tanager, and was at one time described as such 
by 'no less an authority than Mr. Lawrence (Am. Lye, 
N. Y., viii, 126). 





122 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

Now and then we met a caravan of burros carrying 
large sacks on their backs, and driven by half-naked natives. 
Occasionally, a whole family was seen, consisting of father, 
mother, several grown up children, and one or two younger 
ones. Late in the afternoon we reached Ario de Resales, 
a small village of a few hundred inhabitants, where we spent 
the night. Next morning we again set out, and about nine 
o'clock reached a large pine forest, bordering the valley 
in which was situated the volcano. The view from this 
point was grand in the extreme; the great plateau upon 
which we had been travelling ended here, and dropped, per- 
pendicularly, into a valley fifteen hundred feet below, leav- 
ing a bare and ragged mountain wall on the east side of the 
valley. To the right was seen Jorullo, standing out of 
the plain, a great, black mass. In the valley v/ere seen 
plantations, looking beautifully fresh and green, and way 
off in the distance the Sierra Nevada range of mountains 
bordering the Pacific Coast. The scene was one of those 
grand productions of nature which defied the pen to 
describe, and which only the brush of the. artist could 
adequately picture. 

As we descended into the valley the change from the 
tierra tcmplada to that of the tierra caliente, or hot lands, 
was very marked. Pines gave way to palmettos, papaws, 
and other trees of the tropics. Loose thatched huts were 
seen in place of the tight, mud-plastered huts of the tem- 
perate climes. The little village of La Playa was soon 
reached and we were cordially received by the major domo, 
who had been advised of our coming. This little village was 
very unique, and was composed of a single, large house, in 
which lived the major domo and where all the supplies of 
the village were kept, which was surrounded by a number of 
thatched huts. The whole population did not number over 
one hundred, and was composed almost entirely of natives, 



VOLCANO OF JORULLO. 



123 




TYEANNUS VOCIFERUS SW. 



many of whom could not speak Spanish. Here we were 
compelled to eat our meals with 
our fingers, with what little aid we 
could get from a wooden spoon. 
Our fare consisted of fried eggs, 
beans, tortillas, and coffee, minus 
milk. In the thick woods about 
the valley were numbers of beautiful 
birds. Here I saw, for the first 
time, the handsome blue macaws, 
and a single toucan of large size. 
They flew very high, however, and 
I was not able to shoot one. I 
was able to shoot a Cassin's King- 
bird, Crested Cassic, a Western 
Lark Sparrow, and a strange woodpecker; these, together 
with a small ground squirrel, were the only specimens 
obtained. 

On the following morning we started on horseback for 
the volcano of Jorullo. Our road lay over an old lava 
stream, and was covered with large and small blocks of 
lava. The base of the cone was reached in about an hour, 
and here the horses were left and the rest of the ascent ac- 
complished on foot. The surface of the cone was covered 
with scoriae and the ascent was difficult, dangerous, and 
fatiguing. The rim of the crater was reached at last, 
and the view afforded fully recompensed us for the 
exertion. Inside the crater steam was seen issuing from 
several vent holes, and light detonations could be heard 
occasionally. On the north, south and west sides, the walls 
of the crater were intact, but on the eastern side the wall 
had been broken away, and the lava had flowed out in a 
great stream, which reached far down the valley. The 
temperature of one of the vent holes in the crater registered 



124 



A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



150° Fahr., and the ground beneath our feet was so hot that 
we could scarcely bear our feet on it for a moment. The 
general form of the cone was that of a parallelogram; the 
broken side on the east, however, had so destroyed its 
outlines that it was difficult to determine just what had 
been its original shape, JoruUo erupted in September, 
1759, converting what was a fertile plain, covered with 




VOLCANO OF JOKULLO. 



sugar cane, into a black desert, ormalpays. Two small riv- 
ers were totally absorbed, and disappeared. At the present 
time (1895) Jorullo is showing signs cf great activity, and 
it is not at all impossible for it to again erupt, as in 1759. 
Should this happen, the village of La Playa and the numer- 
ous haciendas scattered about over the valley would be de- 
stroyed. 

About noon we left La Playa and retraced our steps 
to Patzcuaro, arriving there the second day after leaving 
La Playa. The night of the second day of our journey I 
shall not soon forget. Our way led over a rough mountain 
path, cut up by innumerable barrancas. The scene by 
moonlight was grand; the sky was clear, and the moon 
shone brightly, casting weird shadows here and there. The 
forest stood out black against the horizon, and to add to 



GINGO DE MA YO. 125 

the effect, not a leaf was stirring, nor a sound to be heard. 
We had arrived in Patzcuaro on the Mexican Fourth of 
July, the hohday known to them as the Cinco de Mayo, — the 
Fifth of May, — to commemorate their victory over the 
French at Puebla during the French Intervention. Horns 
were blowing, cannons firing, and every demonstration of 
pleasure exhibited. Everybody was in holiday attire, the 
market place was filled with people, and the town generally 
had an air of great rejoicing. At 12:30 a. m. we rode on 
horseback to the d^pot, and at 3 o'clock took the train for 
Mexico. 



CHAPTER XII. 

May 9th we again set out, this time to visit Yautepec, 
where there was said to be good fields for study in Geology. 
The road, — the Morelos Railroad by the way, — was the 
same one over which we travelled to Amecameca. At the 
latter place the road passes along the base of the famous 
Sacro Monte. This hill rises abruptly from the plain; a 
shrine is placed here on its summit, around which all 
manner of legends are entwined. There is an image of the 
dead Christ preserved, which was placed there by Fray 
Martin, in 1527. For several centuries, annual pilgrimages 
have been made to this sacred spot, and there is reason to 
believe that all these rites and customs antedate Christianity, 
from the fact that they are participated in almost wholly by 
natives. 

From Amecameca to Ozumba the road was on a 
slightly descending grade, through a fertile valley, with the 
peaks of the snow-capped mountains on the left. In the 
fields'were seen several natives using the ancient plough of 
wood, drawn by oxen. At Ozumba the steep descent 
began; in many places the track could be seen three times 
in the same place, where it doubled and twisted to 
obtain a foothold on the steep side of the mountain. At 
Nepantla we passed the up train, and here were seen 
several cages of beautiful birds in the d^pot. At Cuautla 
we encountered, after passing through a most desolate 
region, a spot which seemed like an oasis in the midst of a 
desert, it was so green and fertile. At 3:45 we arrived in Yau- 
tepec and secured accommodations in the Zaragoza hotel. 

Yautepec is a picturesque little town, situated in the 
midst of a barren volcanic region. The streets are narrow and 



TOWN OF YAUTEPEC. 127 

crooked, and the houses are built of stone, with tiled roofi, 
as in many of the other towns we had visited. The streets 
are paved with cobble-stones in a very uneven manner, and 
resemble some of the streets in Philadelphia in this respect. 
In the center of the town, near the river, is a good sized 
plaza, with a fountain in the center. There are stone 
benches about the square, and a band stand near the foun- 
tain Flower-beds add to the beauty and picturesqueness 
of the square. The buildings facing the plaza are mostly 
used for government purposes, and are not very imposing. 
A river runs' through the town, and is crossed by a stone 
bridge of good construction. Near the bridge a number 
of women and men were bathing, the men on one side and 
the women on the other, both destitute of bathing clothes. 
It seemed rather strange to us, but was the custom, and, of 
course, aroused no curiosity among the inhabitants. A 
little way from the river is a large hill, called Cerro de 
Calveria, which is used as a place of pilgrimage by the 
inhabitants. There is a cross on its summit, and a stony 
path leads to it, over which the devout natives crawl on 
their hands and knees. 

The banks of the river were lined with thick vegetation, 
in which I distinguished the trees of the anona, date palm, 
banana, and orange. The ash, tepiguaje, and parotilla 
were very commonly seen. From the summit of the 
Cerro de Calveria a magnificent view was obtained; at bur 
feet lay the town of Yautepec, with its curious winding 
streets and queer houses; on the outskirts were seen beau- 
tiful, green gardens of orange and banana trees laid out in 
squares, and mixed in here and there were mangos, anonas, 
and many other fruit trees of the tropics; in the background 
rose the black and rugged peaks of the broken-down vol- 
canoes, and behind these rose the loftly mountain range of 
the Mexican Plateau, surmounted by the glistening white 



128 



A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



dome of Popocatepetl, piercing the clouds; through the 
center of the town flowed the little, nameless river, flowing 
through a beautiful gorge bordered by luxuriant vegetation. 
All about us were old volcanic cones, the only green and 
fertile spot to be seen being the town of Yautepec We 
could see ^that the lava streams which flowed from Popo- 
catepetl on the southeast were very large, and must have 
reached nearly, or quite, to the Gulf. The small cones 
about the base of the plateau looked broken and jagged, as 
though a tremendous explosion had taken place. 

Molluscan life was here quite abundant, and I was for- 
tunate enough to discover a new species of Potamopyi'gus, 

which Mr. H. A Pilsbry 
has called P. Bakeri in 
honor of its discoverer. 
It was found in the little 
river which runs through 
the town. Such forms 
as Pupa servilis, P Con- 
tracta, Stenopus elegans, 
Platiorbis parvus, and 
Physa osculans were 
quite numerous. Birds 
were not numerous. 

POTAMOPYKGUS BAKEKI, PILSBRY. 

The town was built upon Cretaceous limestone, and 
several mountain ridges could be seen to the southwest. 
The. whole plateau, and the numerous small cones in the 
neighborhood, seemed to have been thrust up through this 
deposit. At the bridge crossing the river a curious fact 
was observed; the rock on the left bank was composed o"^ 
limestone, while that on the opposite side was composed 
of lava, the river flowing between the two deposits. 

At night we had a concert of fi'ogs, which made most 




DRAINAGE OF MEXICO. 129 

extraordinary noises. There were three kinds, whicli could 
frequently all be heard at once. One of these made a 
noise something like what one would expect a frog to 
make, namely, a dismal croak, but the sounds uttered by 
the others were like no sound I ever heard an animal make 
before. A distant railway-train approaching, and a black- 
smith hammering on an anvil, were the only noises with 
which I could compare them. 

Two days were spent in this interesting town, when we 
returned to Mexico and from thence to Zumpango, to visit 
the Nochistongo cut. Here the English engineering firm 
of Reed & Campbell were engaged in digging a huge tun- 
nel to drain the valley of Mexico, and especially lake 
Zumpango, whose waters had long threatened the destruc- 
tion of the City of Mexico. This tunnel was to be nine 
and one-half miles in length, and at an average depth of 
two hundred and fifty feet. The tunnel was to connect 
with the Tajo de Nochis/ofigo (the, cut before referred to), 
and the waters carried from thence into the Montezuma 
River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This great 
canal was commenced in 1601 for the proper drainage of 
the valle}' of Mexico. It varied in width from two hun- 
dred and eighty to six hundred and thirty feet, with a 
depth of from one hundred and fifty to one hundred and 
ninety-six feet. The Mexican government endeavored to 
utilize it for drainage purposes a few years ago, but the 
attempt was a failure, and the present company were using 
it as a terminus for the tunnel. 

The City of Mexico is much below the level of several of 
the lakes, the waters of lakes Chalco and Yochimilco being 
ten, and those of lake Zumpango twenty-five feet above 
the city. In order to save the city, which has been twelve 
times wholly and partially inundated, it was decided to 
divert the waters of Zumpango into the river Montezuma, 



130 



A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



as described above. For three hundred years the sewers 
of the city have attempted to discharge- into lake Texcoco, 
but the refuse matter is continually floating back again, 
and so the filth of nearly five hundred years is accumu- 
lated beneath the streets of the city. - It is to assist this 
drainage, also, that these works are being carried on. 

Two days were spent at Zumpango, and a good deal 
of information gained concerning the geological formation 
of the valley. On our return to Mexico we passed the lit- 
tle town of Popotla, in which is the famous Arbol de la 
Noche Triste, the "Tree of the Sorrowful Night," under 
which Cortez was said to have wept when driven from the 
City of Mexico. This was an old cypress with blasted, 
jagged limbs, and black trunk. It was surrounded by a 
railing to keep curiosity hunters from carrying the tree 
away. 

On the twenty-fifth of May we left the City of Mexico, 
for the last time, for Veracruz, by the way of Tehuacan, 

where we wished to visit the 
onyx quarries. As we sped 
along the shore of lake Tex- 
coco, the two mountains, Popo- 
cateptl and Ixtaccihuatl, stood 
out bold and clear as though 
bidding us farewell. About 
noon we arrived at Esperanza, 
where we change from steam to 
mule traction for Tehuacan. 
These tram-cars were very pe- 
culiar, being divided into com- 
t^^ partments like an English rail- 
TREE OF THE SAD NIGHT. Way Carriage. The line ran be- 
tween two ranges of limestone hills, and was continually 
descending. As we got deeper among the hills palmetto 




TOWN OF TEHUACAN. 131 

and freycinetta trees appeared, and the Spanish bayonet, 
that plant with the terrible sharp-pointed leaves, was seen 
in clusters here and there. A portion of the way we bor- 
dered a deep and picturesque canon on the left, the track 
here running close to the base of the mountain on that 
side. At 5:30 p. m. we entered Tehuacan. 

The town seemed to be about as large as that of 
Orizaba. The buildings, however, were more tastefully 
built, and had considerably more ornamentation. In the 
center was the usual plaza. This was neat and trim, and 
flowers were more numerous than in any previous town 
visited. It was now tenanted principally by a flock of 
grackles, who were making the air musical with their chat- 
tering. The churches here were of a superior quahty as 
regarded architecture ; one, in particular, had a dome 
built of tiles in the form of a mosaic. The bells v ere also 
wonderfully sweet and silvery in tone, and it was a pleasure 
to hear the chimes peal forth their notes on the still evening 
air. Altogether, Tehuacan had an air of freshness about it 
which was very pleasing. 

On the morning after our arrival we procured horses 
and a mozo, and started to visit the onyx quarries, situated 
near the village of San Antonio. My horse, unfortu- 
nately, was not as good as my companions' v/ho soon dis- 
tanced me, and I was compelled to visit the quarries 
alone. The road was over an undulating country, sandy, 
and in many places thickly covered with bushes, with here 
and there a large tree. Cacti were everywhere abundant, 
growing in immense masses, having great woody stems as 
thick as a man's body, and were quite a novel feature in 
the landscape. Many of them were of the branched cande- 
labrum form, and twenty to thirty feet in height. Other 
kinds were also abundant, some of them growing very low 
and shaped like a barrel. By the roadside several varie- 



132 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

ties of minerals cropped out, and quite a collection was 
obtained. 

About noon I reached the little village of San Anto- 
nio, situated in a ravine, and on the opposite side of the 
ravine the marble quarry was seen. The village consisted 
of but a half dozen huts, and the inhabitants scampered 
out of sight as soon as they saw me. The onyx quarries 
were just outside of, and several hundred feet above, the 
village. Here were lying about huge pieces of onyx sev- 
eral feet square. One block was fully twelve feet long, 
and a foot and a half in thickness. The whole mountain 
seemed to be a mass of this mineral, and the road was 
paved with polished marble made bright by the constant 
travel over it. This onyx was a crust, interbedded with the 
distinctive limestone. Hippuritc fossils were found above 
and below, which determined its position. The beds were 
several feet in thickness 

The absence of animal life about these mountains was 
remarkable. Scarcely a bird was to be seen, and they were, 
curiously enough, mostly birds of prey. A few ground-col- 
ored lizards and a cotton-tail rabbit were the only other 
animals seen. On the following day we left Tehuacan for 
Veracruz. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

May 28th we left Veracruz for Jalapa. From Vera- 
cruz to San Juan, sixteen miles, we passed through a most 
delightful tropical country, the road running through an 
almost impenetrable jungle. Birds here were numerous, 
but I was not able to identify them. 

We reached San Juan by train, where we changed to 
mule traction. The road was very tortuous, winding up 
long hills and down steep gulches. Our route was through 
the old national road by way of Cerro Gordo. It was at 
this hamlet, consisting of a few mud huts, that General 
Scott, in 1847, outflanked and defeated the Mexican army 
under Santa Ana. Jalapa, — pronounced Halapa, — is sit- 
uated about sixty miles northwest of Veracruz, and is used 
by the people of the latter city as a sanitarium to escape 
from the ravages of yellow fever. Its situation is very 
salubrious, as it is located some four thousand feet above 
the sea coast. 

Jalapa has a population (permanent) of some fourteen 
thousand. It contains a large cathedral and numerous 
churches, once handsome structures, but now fallen into 
decay. The town is situated on the hill of Macuiltepec, 
and many of the streets are therefore very steep, and the 
scenery really beautiful. The low stone houses are perched 
on the hillsides, and the streets are irregular. Among the 
many attractions of Jalapa, those of its beautiful women 
and lovely flowers are probably the widest known. In its 
gardens may be gathered the fruits of almost every zone. 
Here grows the aromatic vanilla plant, which is indiginous 
and grows wild in abundance in the forest; it is a great 
source of income to the inhabitants. The plant requires 



134 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

only shade and moisture, and the chmate does the rest. The 
fiowers of this plant are of a greenish-yellow, touched here 
and there with white. The pods grow in pairs and are 
about as large around as one's little finger, and six inches 
long. The pods are green at first and gradually grow 
yellow, and then to brown, as they become fully ripe. 
They are carefully dried in the sun, being touched during 
the process with palm oil which gives them a soft, glossy 
effect when they reach the consumer's hands. The 
quantity shipped from Jalapa is very large, and proves an 
important source of revenue. It is said that the Totonacs, 
who dwelt in the region, cultivated this plant, the Aztec 
nobles being very fond of the fragrant vegetable. Another 
notable plant which grows here, and from which the town 
derives its name, is the jalap, an important drug in our 
medical practice. Near Jalapa are seen the ruins of an 
ancient town, the builders of which must have attained to 
a high degree of civilization. They resemble the ruins of 
Yucatan, and are supposed to have been built at about 
the same time. 

The atmosphere of Jalapa is always humid, and the 
town is often overshadowed by clouds which come up 
from the Gulf of Mexico, heavy with moisture to be pre- 
cipitated in the form of rain. A sort of "drizzle" prevails 
here most of the time. 

In the center of the town is situated the old convent 
of San Francisco, supposed to have been erected by Cor- 
tez. It was also the birthplace of General Santa Ana, the 
most noted of Mexican soldiers of fortune. His neglected 
hacienda is pointed out to all tourists. No fnan living had 
a more checkered career, now falling from position only 
to reach a greater elevation, from which to be ignomini- 
ously hurled. 

The natives go about during the day only half clad, 



TOWN OF JALAPA. 



135 



both men and women exposing a large portion of the 
bare body to the atmosphere; at night, however, it was 
observed that both sexes protected their necks and shoul- 
ders with wraps; the men winding their woolen serapes 
over their necks and the lower parts of their faces, and 
the women covering theirs with their reboses. The change 
of temperature soon after sunset and in the early mornings, 
as compared with the rest of the day, is very decided 
throughout Mexico. Foreigners who follow the native 
customs avoid taking cold, while those who do not, suffer 
for their heedlessness. 

A peculiarity was observed at Jalapa. While most of 
the women in Mexico are dark-hued, yet a large number 
of those one meets in Jalapa are decidedly blondes, hav- 
ing light hair with blue eyes, and possessing as blooming 
complexions as any of our country girls in the States, 

Like all Spanish cities, the windows of the dwellings 
are secured by a screen of iron bars, and many fronts, 

where the house is of two stories 
in height, have also little bal- 
conies. These balconies are 
much in use by lovers. A Mexi- 
can never goes about a courtship 
in an open, straightforward man- 
ner, but on the contrary he 
forms cunning schemes for 
meeting his fair inamorata, and 
employs ingenious subterfuges 
to gain a stolen interview. He 
tells his passion not in words, but 
with profound sighs and signifi- 
cant, glances as he passes her 
balcony, while she, although 'perfectly understanding his 
pantomine, assumes the most profound innocence. Finally, 




MEXICAN COUETSHIP. 



136 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

after a good deal of pretentious pantomime, the fair senorita 
appears to realize the purport of all his worry, and seems 
gradually to yield to his silent importunities. This is 
called "Playing the Bear." There is also the language of 
the fan, of the flowers, of the fingers, all of which are 
pressed into the service of the young couple. A small book 
is sold in the stores of Mexico which contains a printed 
code of the significance of certain flowers, a "dumb alpha- 
bet" for the fingers, and the meaning of the motions of the 
ever ready fan. The gradual opening of a fan signifies 
reluctant forgiveness, a rapid flirt scorn, an abrupt closing 
signifies vexation, and the striking of it with the palm of 
the hand expresses anger. In short, the fan can be more 
eloquent than words if in the hands of a Mexican seiiorita. 
This, however, is only preliminary. All parents are pre- 
sumed to be absolutely opposed to all lovers' wishes, and 
great diplomacy is consequently required. This game often 
continues for a twelvemonth before anything is consum- 
mated. The charm in this kind of courting seems to be in 
its secrecy and difficulties, both real and assumed. 

Between the lofty peak of Orizaba and the Cofre de 
Perote there exists many traces of a very numerous popu- 
lation, which must have occupied the country long previous 
to the time of Cortez. This locality is abundantly sup- 
plied with water, is fertile to an extraordinary degree, and 
possesses an exceptionally healthy climate. The remams of 
stone dwellings are to be found here, which must have laid 
here ruined for many centuries. Huge oak trees, four feet 
in diameter, are found growing among the ruins, proving 
their age. A number of stone pyramids have been found 
here also, some ten, others fifty feet in height; several of 
these have been opened and found to contain skeletons 
and highly decorated room's. Why this localit}/^ is not 
used for agricultural purposes is a puzzle. 



VILLAGE OF SAN JUAN. 137 

On our return to Veracruz, we stopped a couple of 
days at the little village of San Juan. The village con- 
sisted of ten or fifteen huts, and its population was not 
over seventy-five or one hundred. It was situated, how- 
ever, in the midst of a dense tropical jungle, and on this 
account was of great interest to us. On leaving the vil- 
lage we walked along a straight country road, constructed 
above the level of the surrounding land. It had low 
swampy ground on one side, and the other was high 
enough to be quite dry. Leaving the road and turning 
into another, we arrived at a part where the lofty forest 
towered up like a wall, five or six yards from the path, to 
the height of a hundred feet. The trunks of the trees 
were only seen partially here and there, nearly the whole 
frontage from ground to summit being covered with a 
drapery of creeping plants, all of the most vivid green; 
scarcely a flower was to be seen, except in some places a 
solitary scarlet blossom, set in the green mantle. The low 
ground on the borders, between the forest wall and the 
road, was encumbered with a tangled mass of shrubby veg- 
etation. About this spot numerous butterflies were sport- 
ing in the warm sunlight. ■ 

A mile further on the character of the woods changed, 
and we found ourselves in the primeval forest. Here the 
land was rather more elevated ; the many swamp plants 
with their long and broad leaves were wanting, and there 
was less underwood, although the trees were wide apart. In 
almost every hollow was a little brook, whose cold, dark, 
leaf stained waters were bridged over by tre- trunks. The 
ground was carpeted by Lycopodiums — those beautiful 
fern-like mosses — and was also encumbered with masses 
of vegetable debris and a thick coating of dead leaves. 
Fruits of many kinds were scattered about, among which 
were many kinds of beans, some of the pods being six 



138 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

inches long, flat and leathery in texture ; others were hard 
as stone. What attracted our attention chiefly were the 
colossal trees. The general run of trees had not remarka- 
bly thick stems ; the great height to which they grew with- 
out throwing out a branch was a much more noticeable 
feature than their thickness ; but at intervals of a rod or 
two a veritable giant towered up to a height of a hundred 
and fifty feet. 

Birds here were very numerous. Beautiful cassiques 
were continually flying about from tree to tree, uttering 
their peculiar note, which sounded like the creaking of a 
rusty hinge. On almost every tall tree we saw a hawk or 
buzzard. Pretty paroquets were very plentiful, and it 
was amusing to watch the activity with which they climbed 
about over the trees, and how suddenly and simultaneously 
they flew away when alarmed. Their plumage was so 
nearly the color of the foliage that it was sometimes im- 
possible to see them, though one might have seen them 
enter a tree, and hear them twittering overhead, and, after 
gazing until one's patience was exhausted, see them fly off 
with a scream of triumph. The Molluscan genera Physa 
'and Planorbis were very common. 

Late in the afternoon of the second day we returned to 
Veracruz, and secured accommodations in the Hotel Uni- 
versal, fronting the Plaza Major. 



CHAPTER XIY. 

The City of Veracruz is said to be one of the most 
unhealthy spots on this continent, and the vomito holds 
high carnival six months of the year, claiming a large 
number of victims annually. The yellow fever makes its 
appearance in May, and is generally at its worst in Aug- 
ust and September, when it creeps upwards towards Jal- 
apa and Orizaba, although it has never been known to 
exist, to any grert extent, in either of these places. In 
summer the streets of Veracruz are almost deserted 
except by the buzzards and stray dogs, and at such times 
the city is called, very appropriately, Una cindad de los 
niuertos (a city of the dead). 

A large share of the business of the city is carried on 
by French and German residents, who have become accli- 
mated. Many of the merchants of the city keep up a 
permanent residence at Jalapa to escape this dreaded 
enemy. It is said that when a person has once con- 
tracted the disease, and recovered from it, he is presumed 
to be exempt from a second attack; this is a rule, how 
ever, not without an exception. It is singular that the 
climate of the Gulf side of the peninsula should be so fatal 
to human life, while the Pacific side, situated in the same 
latitude, is so very healthy. The French army had reason 
to remember Veracruz, for the fever decimated their ranks 
to the number of four thousand rnen. 

The city is said to be more or less oriental in aspect. 
Everything is seen through a lurid atmosphere. Groups 
of mottled church towers surmounted by glittering crosses; 
square, flat-roofed houses; a long reach of hot sandy 
plain on either side relieved by a few palm trees; and 



140 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. ' 

rough fortifications — these make up the picture of the flat 
shore. There are no suburbs, the dreary, sandy desert 
creeping up close to the city. In the background, how- 
ever, the monotonous scene is reheved by the Sierra Madre 
range of mountains, culminating in the peak of Orizaba. 

The long, straight, narrow streets are laid out with 
great uniformity, and cross each other at right angles, the 
monotony being broken by green blinds opening on the lit- 
tle balconies, which are shaded by awnings. The area of 
the city is not over sixty acres, the town being built in a 
very. compact manner. The streets are crowded in busi- 
ness hours; mule carts, porters, half-naked water-carriers, 
natives, negroes, and active civilians, besides a few military 
officers, are seen jostling each other. In the plaza pretty 
flower-girls mingle with fruit venders, lottery-ticket sellers, 
and here and there a half-tipsy seamen on shore-leave 
from the shipping in the roadstead. 

The Plaza de la Constitucion is small in extent, about 
two hundred feet square, but it is very attractive, having a 
bronze fountain in its center, the gift of Carlotta, the un- 
fortunate wife of Maximilian. In the evening the plaza is 
lighted by electricity. The plaza is ornamented with 
many lovely tropical flowers, cocoanut palms, and fragrant 
roses. On a pleasant evening it is amusing to watch the 
young people in shady corners making love, not, however, 
the legitimate Romeo and Juliet sort observed in Jalapa. 

There are but few places of interest in Veracruz after 
visiting the governor's palace, the plaza, the alameda, 
with its fine array of cocoa-palms, the custom-house, the 
public library, and the large church fronting the plaza. 
This latter, while an imposing structure, will not compare 
well with the cathedrals in the other cities visited. One 
street, called the Street of Christ, leads to the Campo 
Santo, or burial ground, where nature has adorned the 



CITY OF VERACRUZ. 141 

neglected city of the dead with beautiful and fragrant 
flowers. 

The city houses are built of coral limestone, stuccoed. 
The corals are identical with species now found living in 
the harbor. The interior arrangements are like those else- 
where described. The narrow streets are kept scrupulously 
clean, are paved with cobble-stones, and have a gutter 
running down the middle. The garbage wagons make 
their rounds twice daily, gathering up all the refuse mat- 
ter. There is another keen-eyed scavenger, however, which 
is much more effectual and thorough than these garbage 
gatherers; these are the dark-plumed buzzards, or zopilo- 
tes (^Catharista alrata), who are always on the alert to pick 
up and devour refuse matter of any sort found in the 
streets or about the houses. They even fight among 
themselves for coveted pieces of garbage on top of the 
wagons, and frequently the wagon wiU be half emptied 
before it reaches the dumping place. 
They are wisely protected by law, 
and a fine imposed for killing them. 
Clouds of these birds may be seen 
roosting upon the eaves of the houses, 
the church belfries, and all exposed 
balconies. As the sun sets, the 
vultures flock to ^the domes of the 
churches, until the latter are literally 
zopiLOTE. black with them. There is one 

mystery in regard to these birds which naturalists are 
trying to solve, namely, their breeding place. No one 
knows where they go to build their nests and rear their 
young. 

Although Veracruz has suffered more than almost 
any other capital from bombardments, ravages of bucca- 
neers, hurricanes, fevers, and changes of rulers, yet it is 




142 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

still a prosperous city. A brief glance at its past his- 
tory shows us that in 1568 it was in the hands of pirates, 
that in 1683 it was sacked by buccaneers, and was de- 
vastated by a conflagration in 1618. In 1822-23 it was 
bombarded by the Spaniards, who still held the castle of 
San Juan de la Ulua. In 1838 it was attacked by a French 
fleet, and in 1847 was bombarded by the American forces. 
In 1856 it was nearly destroyed by a hurricane, and in 1859 
civil war decimated the town and fortress. From 1861 to 
1867 it was in the hands of the French and Imperialists. 
From that time, however, it has enjoyed a period of quiet 
and a large share of commercial prosperity. 

Veracruz, though at present the principal seaport of 
the Republic, is without a harbor worthy of the name, 
being situated on an open roadstead and offering no safe 
anchorage among its shoals, coral reefs, and surfs. It is 
not safe for vessels to anchor within half a mile of the 
shore. A cluster of dangerous reefs, including the Island 
of San Juan, form a slight protection from the open Gulf, 
although this is sometimes more dangerous than an open 
roadstead. A sea-wall shelters the street facing upon the 
water. A good breakwater would make Veracruz one of 
the safest harbors along the Gulf, but such an improvement 
necessitates a large outlay, and is not likely to be under- 
taken yet a while in the land of " manana, " 

The greater portion of our time was spent in the har- 
bor studying the reefs. As we passed over the clear 
water a perfect treasure-house of nature's wonders could 
be seen beneath the surface. Corals were growing in rich 
profusion, and animal life of all kinds was very abundant. 
Here, over a sandy spot, was crawling a large Triton, a 
trumpet shell; there, just beneath the surface, were several 
beautifully colored fishes swimming lazily along; the corals 
looked very beautiful growing; the Madreporas, with their 







- - ' 






~4 


. i>" 






^ _'. 




'- 3gga- _. 



CORAL REEFS. 143 

broad, palmate fronds, and the Meandrinas, with their 
rounded, pavement-like outlines, stretching far away under 
the water. With the corals that were brought up by our 
diver came mollusks, echinoderms, worms, crabs, and a 
host of marine animals, all of which were transferred to 
our collecting cans. With what curiosity and expectation 
we watched the diver beneath the ocean as he patiently 
pulled and tugged away at a specimen, and how quickly 
• we leaned forward and took the treasure from his hands 
lest he should damage it! 

The reefs in the harbor of Veracruz consist of a 
number of detached islands from less than half a mile to 
a mile and a half in length, which extend eastward from 
the coast line for a distance of nearly six miles. They 
are known as the Gallega (on which is built the castle of 
San Juan), Galleguilla, Blanquilla, Anegada de Adentro, 
Isla Verde, Islote de Pajaros, and Sacrificos. Of these, 
the Gallega is the largest, measuring in a north-and-south 
direction considerably over a mile. In view of the peculiar 
conditions which surround these reefs, it is difficult to under- 
stand how it has come to be the general belief among scien- 
tists that coral reefs are not found in the western waters of 
the Gulf of Mexico. Neither Darwin nor Dana mention 
their existence. 

Few recollections of my Mexican rambles are more 
vivid and agreeable than those of my many walks over the 
white sea of sand bordering the shore. Far out at sea the 
white waves were seen breaking over the coral reefs, and 
in some places dashing high in the air in- a sheet of foam 
as it struck some large barrier. At our feet the waves 
were rolling in with that soft, ripply murmur so character- 
istic of a sandy ocean beach. A little way out the sea 
birds were flying about, and stranded on a reef a mile or 
more from shore was a large vessel, which had been blown 



IM A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 

there but a few months ago by a norther. Far, far out at 
sea were seen several vessels, one a large steamer with a 
column of black smoke pouring from her smoke-stack. 
The beach was strewn with all manner of ddbris thrown up 
by the storms. Lively little crabs were always very abun- 
dant, and at every step one would start up and run for his 
hole in the sand, and if I did not venture to pursue would 
remain near it and stare at me, his curious stalked eyes 
moving up and down in a very comical manner. 

Marine animals were quite abundant about Veracruz. 
Among the corals the Madreporas, Forites, Orbicellas, Di- 
plorias, and SiderastrcEas y^ere common. The absence of Gor- 
gonias was very noticeable, and only one 
species was seen (^Plexaura Gorgo?iia) 

flexuosd), and this not in great abundance. 
The large fields of Gorgonias, which so 
beautify the waters of the reefs of many of the 
West India islands, were wanting here and 
with it, of course, the host of brilliantly 
HJEMASTOM\. colorcd forms associated wifli them. 

Among the Echinoderms Diadema setosum, Echinometra 
subangularis, and Mcllita pentapora, were exceedingly abun 
dant. The moUusks were the most common, and several 
hundred species were obtained. Such species as Purpura 
hamastonia Floridana, Ricinula nodulosa, Coralliophila ab- 
hmnata, Conus mus, Columbella nitida were the most numerous 
in individuals. In the swamp near the city, Ampullaria and 
Planorbis was abundant. Land mollusks were very rare. 
Helix griseola, Liguus princeps, and a single Succinca were the 
only forms found. Seven species of Crustacea were found, 
all Decapods, among which was one new form, Pe?iCEUs 
Brasiliensis, var Aztecus. The vertebrates were scarce, the 
vultures being about all of this group which we saw, be- 
sides a few sea birds. 




JO URNE Y HOME. 145 

May 31st we packed our specimens, bade good-bye to 
our friends in the city, and embarked on the steamship 
Yumuri for New York, via Progreso and Havana. Our 
journey homeward was without any notable event, save 
one, and that a sad one. Among our passengers were a 
number of musicians who had been travelling with Orin's 
circus. One of these men was suffering with delirium 
tremens, and had been placed under surveillance; but one 
afternoon, when we were at dinner, he eluded his guard 
and jumped overboard. Although every effort was made 
to find him it was of no avail, and the steamer was obliged 
to proceed on her journey without him. The event cast a 
gloom over the rest of the passengers for several days. 
Ten days later we arrived in Philadelphia, where we were 
warmly welcomed, and congratulated upon our safe return 
from a long but delightful journey through the most inter- 
esting portion of the Mexican Republic. 



